He didn't want Navalny making noise during the run-up to the "elections". Boris Nadezhdin has already been barred from running (as expected), so the only other one to make noise during the pre-election phase - including rallying those dissenting voices against the war with Ukraine - was Navalny.
They basically eliminated the last remaining significant voice of protest. Kill the symbol of hope, don't even try to contend.
I'm just surprised it took this long and it wasn't an accident falling through a window.
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