2024-02-01 02:04:29
– Thailand: members of dissident Russian rock group Bi-2 released
Arrested last week for a work visa problem, the members of the Russian rock group Bi-2 are on their way to Tel Aviv. They were therefore not deported to Russia, where they risked persecution.
Published today at 03:04 Updated 3 hours ago
Image d’illustration.
AFP
Members of the dissident Russian-Belarusian rock band Bi-2 detained in Thailand by immigration authorities have been released and are on their way to Israel, the group announced on its official Facebook page.
“All the musicians of the group Bi-2 have left Thailand and are safe. They are on their way to Tel Aviv,” the publication writes, putting an end to fears of expulsion to Russia, where they risked persecution. Their arrest took place last week in Phuket (south), where the group was giving a concert as part of an international tour.
“Seven or eight” people were apprehended for a work visa problem, explained the Thai authorities, who confirmed the possibility that they would be deported.
Against the war in Ukraine
Bi-2, famous in Russia, has taken a stand once morest the war in Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin, leading to accusations of supporting terrorism from the Kremlin.
The Russian-speaking group includes seven members, some of whom hold Israeli and Australian citizenship in addition to Russian citizenship, according to Human Rights Watch.
The organizer of the concerts in Thailand, VPI Event, assured that the group had obtained the necessary permits, but that the authorities had issued tourist visas in error.
Since December, the Russian consulate has tried to cancel the planned dates, the promoter continued, in a Facebook message posted overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday.
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