[ad_1]
A dissident Russian rock band detained in Thailand for violating the nation’s immigration legal guidelines has departed for Israel, avoiding deportation again to Russia, the place the musicians would have confronted ill-treatment for his or her anti-war views.
Thai immigration officers yesterday confirmed that members of Bi-2 had flown in a foreign country. BenarNews quoted Pol. Lt. Gen. Phanthana Nuchanart, the deputy commander of the Immigration Bureau, as saying that the group had “already departed, heading to Israel.”
The band confirmed the departure in a put up on Fb, which mentioned that each one seven members of the band have been on their method to Tel Aviv, and would play a collection of dates within the Center East and Europe over the approaching months.
“We’re free!” the put up acknowledged. “Pals, thanks to everybody who fought and supported us!” It went on to thank the Israeli, Australian, and United States governments, in addition to diplomats from Germany, Poland, and Lithuania and the human rights group Amnesty Worldwide, for facilitating their departure.
Bi-2, which has overtly opposed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was detained on January 24, shortly after they carried out a live performance in Phuket, in southern Thailand. In keeping with a press release posted on the group’s Fb web page, the police alleged that the boys didn’t have the right authorized permits to carry out and seized their passports. They have been subsequently transferred to an immigration detention heart in Bangkok, pending their deportation to their respective international locations of origin.
Whereas all of Bi-2’s seven members are Russian residents, some additionally maintain citizenship in Israel and Australia. Nonetheless, this raised very actual issues that they might be despatched again to Russia, the place they’ve courted friction with President Vladimir Putin’s institution by publicly opposing the battle in Ukraine. Final Might, Human Rights Watch reported, Russia’s Justice Ministry designated Egor Bortnik, the band’s frontman, a “overseas agent” for “opposing the ‘particular navy operation’ in Ukraine, [and] making unfavorable statements about Russia, its residents and authorities.”
Certain sufficient, after the band was detained final month, Russia formally demanded their extradition. Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Overseas Ministry, claiming that the had allegedly “sponsored terrorism” by publicly supporting the Ukrainian trigger.
As Mark S. Cogan wrote in these pages earlier this week, Bi-2 had cause to fret, given Thailand’s lengthy and dishonorable monitor report of deporting dissidents and asylum seekers, together with Uyghur Muslims from China and Hmong refugees from Laos, on the request of authoritarian governments.
Ultimately, Western and Israeli strain appears to have satisfied the Thai authorities to not accede to Russia’s extradition demand. This was most likely not too troublesome a call for the Thai authorities to make, given the outcry that will have adopted from Thailand’s closest Western companions. Additionally it is true that whereas Thailand enjoys broadly optimistic relations with Russia, its financial dependence on Russia is sufficiently small that it could afford to disclaim Moscow’s request. The truth that members of the ban have been twin residents additionally supplied a simple pretext for sending them elsewhere.
As Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch mentioned in an emailed assertion yesterday, “human rights issues received out in Thailand’s determination to let all of the Bi-2 band members journey to the protection of Israel.” Had been the same request to come back from China, with which Thailand has a way more substantial financial relationship, the result might effectively have been totally different.
[ad_2]
Source link
