Dissident Russian rockers Bi-2 held in Thailand fly to Israel

“All musicians of the Bi-2 group have safely left Thailand and are heading to Tel Aviv,” read the post.

Several members of the band have dual nationalities, including Israeli and Australian.

Deputy Police Chief Surachate Hakparn said the band requested to be deported to Israel.

Human rights advocates in Thailand cautiously welcomed the news.

“Even though they [are] all safe, we still want Thai authorities to respect arrest procedures strictly,” human rights lawyer Pornpen Khongkachonkiet said.

“It could [have] happened to me, you, and others without international attention as this case got.”

Pornpen said the band’s detention was another sign of creeping transnational repression within the kingdom.

Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch (HRW) agreed, adding that “Thailand is vulnerable to effective manipulation by larger states pursuing transnational repression”.

However, he said international pressure – and global economic concerns – had played a significant role.

“Thailand realised that they didn’t need to make a lot of enemies by doing Russia’s bidding in this case,” Robertson said.

“Russia may be a transnational repression superpower but they’re an economic weakling, and Thailand knows that.”

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The band were held last week after they played a gig on Phuket, a southern island popular with Russian holidaymakers.

Thai officials said they were arrested for performing without the correct work permits and transferred to an immigration detention centre in Bangkok.

The organisers of the band’s Thailand concerts – which also included a show in the raucous beach resort of Pattaya – said all the necessary permits were obtained, but the band had been issued