Members of a famous Russian dissident rock band who criticize the war in Ukraine face deportation from Thailand after being arrested while touring the tourist island of Phuket.
Seven members of the Bi-2 group were arrested by Thai immigration authorities last Wednesday in Phuket for working without a permit. Bi-2 said its members were transferred to Bangkok, where they have been held behind bars since then.
The band is one of the most popular Russian-speaking rock bands since the end of the Soviet Union and is known for its condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Their singer, Igor Bortnik, was branded a “foreign agent” by Russian authorities after criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin online.
Members of the dissident rock group have openly criticized the Russian invasion of Ukraine. If they are returned to Russia, they risk imprisonment.
Hundreds of anti-war musicians fled the country following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and many have since toured abroad.
Observers say Bi-2’s arrest could serve as a stark warning to other artists who criticize Moscow but perform abroad despite the Kremlin’s efforts to accuse them of being “unpatriotic“.
The director of Human Rights Watch for Asia, called on the Thai authorities to immediately release the members of Bi-2.