- A popular Russian rock band was arrested in Thailand and risked being deported to Russia.
- Analysts have said it’s part of Moscow’s effort to shut down dissent reaching the Russian public.
- One Russian comedian said Russia was pursuing a “maniacal persecution of dissenting artists abroad.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin may be expanding his crackdown on dissent at home to expats living abroad — apparently targeting Russian celebrities who have spoken out against the Ukraine war in places like Thailand and Indonesia.
On January 25, seven members of Bi-2, a popular Russian-Belarusian rock band, were arrested in Thailand before a planned performance. The band left Russia after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and has been performing for Russian expats abroad while also speaking out against the war.
Authorities in Thailand said the band did not have the proper permit to perform. They were moved to an immigration detention center and risked being deported to Russia, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday. VPI Event, the concert organizer, said it had obtained the incorrect permit, according to The Times, but said the band members’ arrest was unusual.
Moscow has denied getting involved, but after the band was detained, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said they had “sponsored terrorism” by criticizing Russia and backing Ukraine.
The New York Times reported the group avoided getting sent to Russia thanks to officials from Israel and Australia, where some of the members have citizenship, citing the band’s lawyer.
But Dmitri Gudkov, an exiled Russian politician who knows the band, told The Times the push to send the band to Russia was a “special operation.”
“Their task is to grab someone big outside the country to show that they can grab anyone, anywhere,” he said.
Two sources familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that Russia’s Foreign Ministry has instructed diplomats to seek out Russian celebrities in ally countries.
“The authorities’ major fear now is that people living abroad are getting their message across to a Russian audience,” Ekaterina Schulmann, a Russian political scientist based in Germany, told Bloomberg.
“They want to silence them,” Schulmann, who was dubbed a “foreign agent” in Russia following the start of the war in Ukraine, continued.
Maksim Galkin, an anti-war Russian comedian, also said he was being targeted by Russia. Galkin said online he had to cancel a planned show in Bali because Indonesian officials wouldn’t let him enter the country, and claimed it was due to pressure from Russia, The Times reported.
The comedian said it was “funny” Russia was pursuing “the maniacal persecution of dissenting artists abroad.”
