Строгость законов компенсируется необязательностью их исполнения

[timelets]

Michel Foucault describes the state of law before the French Revolution:

"under the Ancient Regime each of the different social strata had its margin of tolerated illegality: the non application of the rule, the non-observance of the innumerable edicts or ordinances were a condition of the political functioning of society… illegality was so deeply rooted and so necessary to the life of each social stratum, that it had in a sense its own coherence and economy."

According to Foucault, the reform (and relolution) transformed "illegality against the sovereign" into "illegality against society." Interesting. From this perspective, Navalny's crime is against the sovereign, but since officially Russia is not a monarchy, the authorities are trying to punish him for made up crimes against the society.