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Russian band critical of Putin detained after concert in Thailand, facing possible deportation to Russia
Bangkok — Members of a rock band that has been critical of Moscow’s war in Ukraine remained locked up Tuesday in a Thai immigration jail, fearful that they could be deported to Russia as a reported plan to let them fly to safety in Israel was apparently suspended.
The progressive rock band Bi-2 said on Facebook that it had information that intervention from Russian diplomats caused the plan to be scuttled, even though tickets had already been purchased for their flight.
“The group participants remain detained at the immigration center in a shared cell with 80 people,” the post said. It said they declined to meet with the Russian consul. The Russian press agency RIA Novosti said the refusal was confirmed by Ilya Ilyin, head of the Russian Embassy’s consular section.
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The group later said on the Telegram messaging app that its singer, Yegor Bortnik, whose stage name is Lyova, boarded a flight for Israel late Tuesday, but the other members remained in the jail.
The seven band members were arrested last Thursday after playing a concert on the southern resort island of Phuket, reportedly for not having proper working papers. On Facebook, they said all their concerts “are held in accordance with local laws and practices.” Phuket is a popular destination for Russian expats and tourists. After paying a fine, the band members were sent to the Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok.
The detained musicians “include Russian citizens as well as dual nationals of Russia and other countries, including Israel and Australia,” the group Human Rights Watch said in a statement Tuesday. Those holding only Russian citizenship are thought to be most at risk.
“The Thai authorities should immediately release the detained members of Bi-2 and allow them to go on their way,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Under no circumstances should they be deported to Russia, where they could face arrest or worse for their outspoken criticisms of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s war in Ukraine.”
“It is not known if the Russian authorities have sought the band members’ forcible return to Russia,” Human Rights Watch said. “However, amid repression in Russia reaching new heights, Russian authorities have used transnational repression — abuses committed against nationals beyond a government’s jurisdiction — to target activists and government critics abroad with violence and other unlawful actions.”
Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara told reporters Wednesday that the country’s “National Security Council is looking into the matter, seeing what are details, including the band members’ names and nationalities,” according to French news agency AFP.
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“If the band members did not violate any laws, we cannot just deport them because there are international laws on this,” he was quoted as saying. “But if they violated the laws, we have to act on it according to legal procedures.”
The National Security Council is Thailand’s highest ranking body on national security issues and is chaired by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. It includes other senior government ministers, along with military and police officials.
Self-exiled Russian opposition politician and a friend of Bi-2, Dmitry Gudkov, told the AP that he had been in touch with lawyers and diplomats in an attempt to secure the band’s release and suggested that pressure to detain and deport them came directly from the Kremlin and the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Russia, Gudkov said, needs an “evocative story to show that they will catch any critic abroad. This is all happening in the run-up to (Russia’s presidential election), and it’s clear that they want to shut everyone up, and that’s why there’s intense pressure going on.”
Russia’s ambassador to Thailand Yevgeny Tomikhin said Russian diplomats were not responsible for the group’s detention.
“It’s not our practice to dictate to anyone. Americans can do this. We don’t behave like that and don’t make such requests,” Tomikhin was quoted as telling the newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Bi-2 has 1.01 million subscribers to its YouTube channel and 376,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.
Andrei Lugovoi, a member of the lower house of Russia’s parliament, called the band members “scum” for their criticism of Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
“Let the guys get ready: soon they will be playing and singing on spoons and on metal plates, tap dancing in front of their cellmates,” Lugovoi said on Telegram. “Personally, I would be very happy to see this.”
Britain has accused Lugovoi of involvement in the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, who died in London in 2006 after being poisoned with tea laced with radioactive polonium-210. A British judge said about a decade later, after a full investigation, that Putin himself “probably approved” Litvinenko’s murder.
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Frontier Airlines is selling an “all you can fly” pass for 2025. Here’s how the $299 offer works.
Frontier Airlines has announced an “all you can fly” pass for 2025-2026, with the $299 “GoWild!” deal including a year’s worth of unlimited flights — with some restrictions.
To be eligible, pass holders must be U.S. residents and members of Frontier Miles, the airline’s loyalty program, before they purchase the annual membership. If they’re not members, they’ll automatically be enrolled.
“The GoWild! Pass is perfect for spontaneous adventurers, budget-savvy travelers and anyone dreaming of limitless journeys,” Frontier Airlines chief commercial officer Bobby Schroeter said in a statement. “At $299, this is the lowest price we’ve ever offered, making it easier than ever to explore amazing destinations across the U.S., Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America. This limited-time pricing will only be offered to those who act fast!”
Here’s how the “Go Wild!” pass works
Once you purchase the $299 deal, you can book tickets on select Frontier flights for just a penny.
The airline warns that not every flight operated by Frontier is available for booking through the GoWild! pass. Additionally, pass holders must pay any taxes and fees associated with the airfare.
What kind of seat do you get?
GoWild! pass holders cannot reserve seats in advance, nor do their fares include carry-on or checked baggage, although these extras may be purchased separately.
When can I book flights?
The unlimited pass allows travelers to make reservations the day before a flight’s departure for domestic travel, and ten days before an international flight’s departure date.
The pass is valid for travel between May 1, 2025, and April 30, 2026, Frontier said.
There are certain blackout dates around holidays and other busy travel periods, during which the GoWild! Pass cannot be redeemed for a plane ticket. Additionally, pass holders cannot purchase tickets on behalf of other travelers.
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Frontier first offered the annual pass in 2022, which was for travel in 2023. Low-cost carriers have struggled to attract customers of late, as fliers increasingly turn to premium travel offerings, and even legacy carriers introduce new, bare-bones ticket options to compete for budget-conscious customers.
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President-elect Donald Trump fired another salvo in his long-running effort to have his New York criminal conviction tossed, with his attorneys alleging earlier this month that there was juror misconduct during his trial.
In a previously undisclosed Dec. 3 letter to Justice Juan Merchan that was made public Tuesday, Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote that there was “grave juror misconduct” in the proceedings in a Manhattan courtroom earlier this year.
However, heavy redactions in the letter and subsequent exchanges with prosecutors obscured almost all information about the accusations themselves.
“The jury in this case was not anywhere near fair and impartial,” they wrote.
Merchan on Tuesday directed Trump to make the redacted letter public, and instructed prosecutors to publish their own redacted responses. The judge also criticized Trump’s lawyers for making such serious allegations without sworn statements.
Prosecutors called the allegations “vague accusations of juror misconduct” in one of their responses. They claimed Trump’s attorneys did not want to have the allegations subject to investigation or a public hearing.
“Notwithstanding the import of their allegations, counsel do not request and in fact oppose a hearing at which their allegations could be fully examined, referring to such a hearing as ‘invasive fact-finding,'” wrote a prosecutor for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Still, they argued such an investigation wasn’t yet appropriate.
“Counsel’s allegations fall far short of the standard required to request such a hearing in any event,” they wrote.
It is unclear if the allegations relate to a June 7 letter from Merchan that alerted prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys to a comment left on the court’s Facebook page the night before Trump’s conviction.
“My cousin is a juror and says Trump is getting convicted,” the user wrote. “Thank you folks for all your hard work!!!!”
The person who made the comment had previously described themselves as a “professional s**tposter.”
Trump was found guilty in May of 34 counts of falsifying business records, connected with a scheme to cover up a “hush money” payment to an adult film star. He pleaded not guilty and is contesting the conviction on multiple fronts.
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Frontier Airlines is selling an “all you can fly” pass for 2025. Here’s how the $299 offer works.
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