ABSTRACT
This chapter tries to explain why practising freedom of expression in modern Russia is challenging and how the authorities could successfully create a system in which dissent is unthinkable without imposing significant personal risk on the opposition. It provides an overview of the context in which Russia’s asymmetrical information-based legal system has developed. Additionally, it guides the reader through the institutions, legislative changes, and concepts adopted since 2012, offering a more nuanced understanding of this system – one that necessitates the restriction of free speech for its formation. It accomplishes these goals by adhering to the theoretical framework for asymmetrical information, merging the ideas of George Akerlof, who views asymmetries through the notion of social distance, and Niklas Luhmann, who comprehends these asymmetries through the distorted concept of equality.
