Rock Band Bi-2 Survives Deportation To Russia And Allowed To Evacuate In Israel

Bi-2 (Instagram @b2band)

JAKARTA - The band alternative rockanti-war Bi-2 was released from prison in Thailand, where they face deportation to Russia.

The seven band members who are critics of Vladimir Putin were arrested on Thursday, January 25 after a concert at the popular beach resort in Phuket. They allegedly failed to get the required work documents.

Five of Bi-2 members traveled on Russian passports and at least four other members were reportedly Israeli citizens, according to the Associated Press.

Meanwhile, the band's keyboardist, Gleb Kolyadin, who is also part of the band Iamthemorphing, currently lives in England.

Kolyudin's colleague at Iamthemorphing, Marjana Semkina, via his Facebook page on January 31 revealed that all members of Bi-2 with Kolyadin had been released.

"Friends!!! They're out!!! Congratulations on the plane to Israel. Can't wait to welcome him back to England," he started his post.

“Kami masih sedikit khawatir tentang potensi masalah di perbatasan Israel tetapi tentunya semuanya akan baik-baik saja setelah berita tersebut menjadi begitu besar di berita internasional. Saya juga tahu bahwa pihak berwenang Inggris berada di lokasi kemarin. Terima kasih banyak atas bantuan, kiriman, email, berbagi petisi, dan dukungan moral kalian. Saya sendiri sangat membutuhkannya. Saya akan terus mengabari kalian," dia melanjutkan.

The announcement of Bi-2's release comes hours after Russian politician Andrei Lugovoy, a member of Russia's lower house of parliament, called the band a "garbage" because of their open criticism of Russia's military operations in Ukraine.

Russia previously criticized the two founders of Bi-2, Aleksandr Hari Uman and Yegor Lyova Bortnik, for criticizing the country's military opposition against Ukraine.