Arrested in Thailand – Russian gang fled to Israel to avoid deportation

The seven musicians of Bi-2, some of whom also have an Israeli passport and two of whom are no longer Russian citizens, were arrested last week after a concert on the Thai holiday island of Phuket and placed in immigration detention. The media initially reported that the musicians would be deported to Russia.

There was a risk of prosecution for criticism of the regime
Human rights activists warned that the exiled group would face prosecution if deported to Moscow because of their public criticism of the Russian government. On Tuesday evening, one of the band’s founders – Yegor “Ljowa” Bortnik – had already flown to Israel, as the band announced, while the rest of the group initially stayed in a migration prison.

Moscow demanded the extradition, but Israel’s diplomatic efforts resulted in the musicians being allowed to travel to Israel, Ynet reported. The band is accused of not having the valid documents for the performance in Phuket. “The reason for the arrest was incorrectly worded documents from the organizers,” Bi-2 had said on several social networks.

No performance for Putin’s flag
According to the NGO Human Rights Watch, the Russian government considers the rock band a threat to national security because it condemns Russia for the war and supports Ukraine. The group made headlines in April 2022, shortly after the start of the Russian invasion, when they refused to play in the Siberian city of Omsk in front of a banner reading “For the President.”