Russian rockers face deportation
SEVEN MEMBERS OF A Russian rock band who oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine face deportation from Thailand after their arrest in Phuket for working illegally by performing a concert in Patong.
The seven members of the rock band ‘Bi-2’ were arrested after completing their concert at the Illuzion nightclub in Patong last on Jan 24, reported The Phuket News’ Russianlanguage newspaper Novosti Phuketa.
Phuket Provincial Court last Saturday (Jan 27) ordered the seven arrested, comprising six Russian nationals and one Israeli national, to pay a fine of B3,000 each.
Russian state news agency TASS reported that the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Phuket “noted” that none of the detained Russians applied for consular assistance.
TASS quoted Russian Consul in Phuket Vladimir Sosnov as saying, “We know about the arrest. None of the detainees turned to us for consular assistance.”
RIA Novosti quoted Mr Sosnov as saying, “We received information today from the Phuket Provincial Immigration Police Department
that members of the ‘Bi-2’ band, seven people, will be transferred in the coming days to the Temporary Detention Center of the Royal Thai Police Immigration Bureau in Bangkok for subsequent deportation.”
To which countries the seven were to be deported remained unclear.
The concert in Patong was the second performance by the band in Thailand, after performing in Pattaya on Jan 22. Videos of the arrest in Patong were published by MASH and SHOT news channels on Telegram.
TASS itself reported that in May last year the Russian Ministry of Justice added musician Egor Bortnik (Yegor Bortnik, Leva ‘Bi-2’) to its register of “foreign agents”.
“The department clarified that Mr Bortnik opposed the ‘special military operation’ in
Ukraine and spoke negatively about the Russian Federation, its citizens and government bodies.” TASS noted.
According to a report by Bloomberg, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Saturday accused the band members of sponsoring terrorism by publicly supporting Ukraine, raising concerns they may face criminal charges in Russia.
Russian Consul in Phuket Mr Sosnov said that the band members will be sent to Bangkok for deportation based on their citizenship.
Israeli newspaper Haaretz confirmed that four of the band members were Israeli citizens, including one who is also an Australian citizen.
Phuket, police, immigration and provincial figures all still remain silent on the arrests.
The Phuket News