Seven members of the band Bi-2, a Russian rock group that criticizes the war in Ukraine, are facing deportation from Thailand after being arrested during a tour on the island of Phuket.
The musicians were detained by Thai immigration authorities last week for working without permits. The band stated that its members were moved to Bangkok, where they have been held in custody since then, according to Guardian.
Bi-2 is one of the most successful Russian-language rock bands since the end of the Soviet Union and is known for their condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Igor Bortnik, the lead singer of the band, has been labeled a “foreign agent” by Russian authorities after criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin online.
Hundreds of anti-war musicians have fled the country following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many of them going on tour outside of their home country.
Observers believe that the arrest of Bi-2 could serve as a severe warning to other artists who criticize Moscow but continue to perform abroad, despite the Kremlin’s efforts to portray them as unpatriotic.
Russian Foreign Ministry claims the band is sponsoring terrorism
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has accused the band members of sponsoring terrorism by publicly supporting Ukraine, causing fear that they could face criminal charges in Russia.
Elaine Pearson, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, has called on Thai authorities to “ release the Bi-2 members and allow them to continue their journey.
” She added, “Under no circumstances should they be deported to Russia, where they could be arrested or even worse, because of their open criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
The arrest is the latest in a series of incidents involving anti-war Russian artists in Thailand and seems to highlight Moscow’s influence over the Southeast Asian country, which is popular among Russian tourists.
Before the arrest of Bi-2, authorities in Phuket cancelled shows by two popular comedians, Maxim Galkin and Ruslan Beliy, who have been labeled “foreign agents” by the Kremlin.
The band may have been detained at the request of the Russian consulate
According to a source, Bi-2 was detained in Phuket at the request of Russian Consul Vladimir Sosnov. The source, speaking anonymously, stated that Russian authorities had sent their Thai counterparts a “blacklist” of Russian musicians that the Kremlin would like deported back to Russia.
Russian exiled politician Dmitry Gudkov, who is in contact with the band, has claimed that Russian authorities are pressuring their Thai counterparts to deport the musicians to Russia.
The arrest of Bi-2 appears to be turning into a major diplomatic issue for Thailand. While some of the seven band members have dual Australian and Israeli citizenship, two members are not Russian citizens, according to a statement from Bi-2, and therefore cannot be deported to Russia.
Bi-2’s lawyer stated on Tuesday that Israeli diplomats in Thailand had offered the band the option to travel to Tel Aviv, a request that was rejected following the intervention of the Russian consul.
“Today, after a visit from high-ranking diplomats from the Russian embassy, the band’s representatives were informed that the decision to deport them to Israel has been cancelled,” Bi-2 stated in a Telegram message..