This case has been driven to full escalation by the defence; indeed it isn’t so hard to see that basically the case has become an attack on the state, a continual attack conducted by the defence lawyers and others, who used this case as an ‘opposition’ platform and tool. Indeed the advocates have not hidden this, in their final arguments they even attack the judiciary and its functioning contemptuously. It is naïve to think that any state, especially a Russian one would back away from such an attack, would back down, for that would just be the signal for even greater outrageous acts, the line would have shifted in the sand. However, also to react and step outside the law would also be wrong of the state, as that would lead also to a win in terms of forced mistake. But in this case, the state actually finds it easy; the act is gross, the offence clear, so it just needs follow the law. Indeed in doing this, the tables are actually turned in full and the state comes out even better as upholding respect, decency and values of our society in a robust fashion according to the law. Indeed a better opportunity for advertisement, they could not have asked for.

LOL @ "PR disaster"!

Th e current ways of the rule of law in Russia can't be side-stepped perhaps, but I think the Russian state would look so much better if it did not try to detain these fools. Why not just slap them with heavy fines? Make them pay for the material destruction and violence, that's all this needs.

That would also show that they are wrong and that this type of childish behavior is not feared or taken seriously.

Ho w can anybody look up to an outfit like PR when they behave like restless, impulsive rebels?
How would policy be if such people were the ones to choose?

Why did it all backfire for the west in this case, well actually the answer is simple, they faced Russian reality and in trying to show that Russian reality was in some way so strange, so out of touch with ‘normal ideas’, they had to go to such extremes that the resultant manufactured behaviour became so out of touch with even western liberal values, that it all collapsed into absurdity. They tried a Soviet style attack, which was easy in those days, to portray communism as stifling human rights…. However, now they faced a different situation, a Russia in which you can do just about anything you want, and even more (that you shouldn’t) if you have the cash. What you have here is a total wild west, anything goes (but changing for the better). So how on earth do you show that situation in a restrictive stifling way? Well basically you have to keep going, keep escalating in terms of obscenity of societal attack until the state has to do something and then when they do, conduct the case in such a way as to maximise your own punishment and distress. This was the technology that was applied here in a calculated political manner by the ‘girls’ and their political masters and accomplices. The truth is using Russian custom and practice (negotiate with the prosecution and even put cash on the table) they would have walked away with a minor sanction, not because it was right to get that sanction at that level, but because they would have worked for ‘their’ best interests. However, as they admit, they work for larger political interests, and it is these higher goals that are driving the escalation purely form their side. The problem for them though is that the behavioural conduct they had to stoop to in order to generate a reaction is actually viewed by balanced normal people from wherever they are in the world as not acceptable in any way. Thus the act becomes much worse than the state it is aimed against and all credibility is lost, the whole thing simply backfires completely!