ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the impact of selective law enforcement in Russia, both for the prosecuted individuals and for society at large. Unsurprisingly, the persecution brings about a range of negative effects for the involved, ranging from stigmatization and organizational recruitment problems to prison sentences and broken families. In many of the examined cases, however, no legal sanctions were ever imposed, even if the prosecution was seemingly conducted by political request. Central to understanding this fact is not only to recognize the partial autonomy of Russian courts, but also to realize how the constant quasi-legal attention works to produce punishment before a case actually reaches the courtroom. If the political message can be delivered successfully without formal legal sanctions, this is just as good or perhaps better for the authoritarian leaders. This chapter also discusses how quasi-legality is gradually becoming institutionalized as law enforcers internalize the authoritarian rules of the game and eventually produce skewed enforcement patterns without the need for either repressive laws or direct commands from above.
