Thailand allows detained Israeli-led Russian rock band Bi-2 to leave for Israel
BANGKOK (Reuters) – Members of a Russian rock band with Israeli members, who expressed opposition to the war in Ukraine, have left Thailand for Israel a week after the authorities threatened to deport them back to Moscow for working at the resort island of Phuket without a permit, the band and the Thai police said.
Human rights activists had warned that the seven members of the self-exiled rock band Bi-2 would face harsh punishment if they were sent to Russia.
Several band members, however, hold both Russian and Israeli citizenship, and the group had been based in Israel in the 1990s. Deputy Police Chief Surachate Hakparn said the band requested to be deported to Israel. The band was fined for working without a permit, he added.
The band wrote on its Facebook page that all members had left Thailand and were heading to Tel Aviv.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry had also worked to get the band members released.
“I am glad that through smart and diligent diplomatic work we succeeded in freeing the Israeli citizens who were arrested in Thailand together with their bandmates who have foreign citizenships,” said Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, welcomed the decision to send the band to Israel.
“Human rights concerns won out in Thailand’s to let all the Bi-2 band members travel to the safety of Israel,” he said.
Bi-2 is known for its condemnation
of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s Justice Ministry labeled lead singer Igor Bortnick a “foreign agent” after he criticized President Vladimir Putin online last year.
Bi-2 was founded in 1988 in Belarus, when it was still part of the Soviet Union. Its founders are Alexandr Uman (known as Shura) and Igor Bortnik (Luba), both Israelis. Bortnik immigrated to Israel in January 1991 at the age of 20 and worked as a security guard at a construction site, according to Ynet. Uman arrived in the country the same year at the age of 19 and also worked in security.
Bi-2 won first place at a Jerusalem rock music competition in the early 1990s. By the end of 1993, Shura emigrated to Australia and was joined by Luba in 1998.
The following year, they moved to Russia and reestablished Bi-2. According to Ynet, they’ve performed frequently in Israel over the years, establishing a solid fan base among Israeli metalheads.