title: Instrumentalizing Justice: Forms and Impacts of Criminal Justice Abuse in Russia
abstract: The abuse of criminal justice as a tool for repression is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes, with Russia serving as a compelling case study. This paper explores the evolution of criminal justice abuse in Russia, focusing on key mechanisms such as selective law enforcement, the erosion of judicial independence, and the strategic use of ambiguous legal provisions. High-profile cases, including those of Sergei Magnitsky and Alexei Navalny, highlight the regime's deliberate use of the judiciary to