Group “Bi-2” made the first statement after the detention in Thailand

The musicians of the Russian rock group “Bi-2” published the first statement after their detention in Thailand. They confirmed the earlier reports that the group’s musicians may face deportation, including to Russia.

The participants of “Bi-2” admitted that the reason was “improperly prepared documents by the organizers”, but emphasized that no additional charges were brought against them, and that “the situation and the noise around it suggest that pressure from outside played not the least role in the detention , the reasons for which are the views and position of the musicians.

“Bi-2” is one of several Russian rock groups that openly opposed the war with Ukraine. After that, the authorities declared the band’s leader Leva Bi-2 (real name – Egor Bortnyk) a “foreign agent”, and the band’s musicians were forced to leave Russia.

The Russian service of the BBC notes that at the moment the participants of “Bi-2” are still in the temporary detention center of the migration police in Phuket and are waiting to be transported to the capital of Thailand, Bangkok, from where they can be deported – including to Russia .

Among the team members are citizens of three countries: Russia, Israel and Australia. According to the musicians’ statement, they are now in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, whose representatives in Thailand are involved in resolving the situation, but the Australian consul was not allowed to visit them.

The musicians of the “Bi-2” group were detained on January 24 after a concert in Phuket, the court imposed small fines on them for performing without work visas, however, after this, the members of the group were not released, but sent to a temporary detention center – presumably for subsequent deportation.

The “Sota” publication, with reference to the former member of the State Duma, opposition politician Dmytro Gudkov, who lives abroad, previously reported that the Russian Consul General in Thailand, Vladimir Sosnov, is personally seeking the deportation of musicians who entered Thailand on Russian passports, specifically to Russia. According to the consul, there are five out of seven.

Hudkov claims that he knows the details of the case, since he is friends with “Bi-2” and is trying to help them. The politician does not rule out that in case of deportation to Russia, the musicians may face criminal prosecution because of their anti-war stance. According to Hudkov, the Russian authorities can demonstratively dispose of the Bi-2 in order to intimidate all representatives of the creative professions who oppose the war.

It was not reported that a criminal case was initiated in Russia against any of the Bi-2 musicians. At the same time, the official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Maria Zakharova, in her commentary for the “Podyom” publication, indirectly accused “Bi-2” and the artist Maksym Galkin, who recently also faced problems in Thailand and Indonesia, of “financing terrorism” in connection with their support for Ukraine .