Fear and loathing

恐慌與厭惡同在

How the Kremlin is using the law for political ends

克里姆林宮如何操縱法律以達政治目的

For generations of Russian leaders, the law has been a tool of state power, not a limit on its abuse. In recent months, as Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, and his advisers have navigated an unfamiliar political environment, they too have fallen back on a kind of nominal legalism, in which the law is less for protecting the citizenry than an instrument of power.

對于幾代俄羅斯領導人而言，法律已經成為他們攫取國家權力的工具，而不再是限制權力濫用的利器。最近幾個月以來，俄羅斯總統弗拉基米爾·普京及其顧問開創了一種不同的政治局面，從而回歸到了一種名義上的守法主義之路上。如此，法律與其說是用來保護民眾利益，不如說是一種權力工具。