Thai authorities arrested seven members of the Russian rock band BI-2 in Phuket on the 24th for holding a show without a permit. They are currently being held at a migration centre in Bangkok, awaiting further processing. Their passports were also confiscated and a fine of 3,000 baht was paid each.
The band BI-2 is a band that openly opposes Russia's Vladimir Putin, who once condemned Putin's aggression against Ukraine in their songs. The band's lead singer, Igor Bortnik, directly attacked Putin on social **, and was identified as a foreigner by Russia**, that is, a spy. According to Russian law, any person or organization that receives foreign funding or represents foreign interests is a foreign person.
Friends and supporters of the band BI-2, including Russian opposition figure Dmitry Gudkov, are concerned about their safety. In an interview with Radio Australia, Goodkov said he suspected that Russia was pressuring Thailand to repatriate members of the band BI-2 to Russia. If something like this happens, they may be severely punished for holding different political views.
Some organizations in the West are also concerned about this and have called on Thailand not to send members of the band BI-2 back to Russia. They believe that this is a violation of freedom of speech and human rights, as well as damage to Thailand's international image.
According to reports, the members of the band BI-2 are not all Russian citizens, and some also have the citizenship of other countries, such as Israel and Australia. Five of them are on Russian passports, though, which could cause them more trouble.