2013. Navalny is running for mayor of Moscow despite having a criminal record following the first of many embezzlement cases against him. Found guilty and initially given a custodial sentence, Navalny was released the following day after a massive public outcry. Of course, it was impossible to pass the municipal filter — a special procedure that weeds out undesirable candidates — without the help of the authorities themselves, and they entertained his bid in the expectation that he would take the last place in disgrace. However, Navalny won over a quarter of the votes and Sobyanin only narrowly avoided a second round.