MOSCOW, August 23 (RAPSI) - Opposition activist and candidate for Moscow mayor Alexei Navalny has been given a verbal warning based on the inspection results of his election campaigning, RIA Novosti reported Friday.

The working group of the Moscow Election Committee considered an application filed by A Just Russia Chairman and mayoral candidate Nikolai Levichev. According to his complaint, Navalny disseminates illegal campaign materials.

As previously reported, the Moscow Election Committee will consider a revocation of Navalny's candidate registration in the case of the confirmation of the committed violations.

Earlier, Navalny moved for the court to call for a handwriting analysis of President Vladimir Putin's signature on the document permitting present Mayor Sergei Sobyanin to run again for the office of Moscow Mayor. The Moscow City Court rejected the motion.

Moscow's mayoral election will take place on September 8. Present Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, who enjoys the support of the ruling United Russia party, is the clear frontrunner in the race according to recent polls.

Navalny was convicted in July of timber embezzlement stemming from a stint spent serving as an advisor to Kirov governor Nikita Belykh between May and September 2009. According to investigators, Navalny organized the theft of over 10,000 cubic meters of timber during that period in collusion with Vyatka Timber Company Director Pyotr Ofitserov and Kirovles CEO Vyacheslav Opalyov.

He was sentenced to five years in a penal colony, and his co-accused Pyotr Ofitserov received a four-year sentence. The two were held liable to pay a one million ruble fine between them. In a surprise move, however, he was released following the conviction pending his appeal, which has been filed.

Prosecutors had filed a request for he and Ofitserov to be released from custody pending appeal based on the fact of Navalny's candidacy for Moscow mayor, and the concern that he should be afforded the same rights as other candidates.

In addition to the Kirovles embezzlement case, investigators have opened three other criminal cases against Navalny, on charges of embezzlement from a political party, deceiving an international cosmetics company, and illegally conspiring to privatize a central Russia distillery.