MOSCOW, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Russia's Supreme Court on Saturday dismissed an appeal by Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny against a decision by the country's central election commission to bar him from taking part in next year's presidential election.

The commission this week barred Navalny from taking part in the March 18 vote because of a suspended prison sentence he says was trumped up. (Reporting by Gennady Novik and Valery Stepchenkov; Writing by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Alison Williams)