Arrested In Thailand, Bi-2 Anti-War Rock Band Is At Risk Of Deportation To Russia

Bi-2 (Instagram @b2band)

JAKARTA - The band alternative rock anti-war Bi-2, which visited Thailand, risks being deported back to Russia.

Not only that, they can also face years of prison sentences for publicly opposing the country's war against Ukraine.

Seven progressive rock band members, who are well-known critics Vladimir Putin, were arrested on January 25 appearing at the popular beach resort in Phuket.

Allegedly, they failed to obtain the necessary work documents. Five of the band's members traveled using Russian passports and at least four members were reportedly Israeli nationals, according to the Associated Press.

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

The Kremlin is known to supervise members of a cultural community who are critical of war, even though they are not in the country.

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

On Bi-2's official Facebook page, they said all the conserts were held in accordance with the laws and conditions of the local state.

After paying a fine of 3,000 baht each, the band members were sent to the Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok, according to Human Rights Watch. To this day (January 30), they are still being held in prison and most likely face heavy demands and other major dangers at the hands of Russian authorities, according to Sunai Phasuk of Human Rights Watch.

"In any situation Bangkok should not hand them over to Moscow, because this will clearly violate international law and Thailand," he added.

Russian opposition politician who isolated himself and Bi-2 friend Dmitry Gudkov told Russian SBS radio he believed Moscow was putting pressure on Thailand for the band to be deported to Russia.