As the BBC notes, the leaked video of a prison beating has caused fury in certain segments of Russian society. The video shows an incident last year in which a prisoner, Yevgeny Makarov was tortured by guards after apparently insulting one of them.

That footage won’t shock as many Russians as you might think. In Russia, physical brutality goes hand-in-hand with the coercive instruments of the state. For decades, the culture of Russian military, law enforcement, and prison services has been defined by exploitation of one kind or another. The Russian armed forces are the worst offenders.