Stalinist justice did evolve somewhat from the 1930s to the early 1950s, but a consistent feature remained—the exceeding by investigative bodies of their authority, fabrication of charges, etc. After the German retreat from the occupied Soviet territories, public attention focused on the investigation and prosecution of collaborators. At first glance, this should have been enough to ensure their transparency. But it was no more than an illusion, as behind the façade of transparency lurked the old repressive methods of the 1930s regime.