The holding in detention by Thai authorities of an anti-war Russian rock band has exposed how criticising President Vladimir Putin can be fraught with danger even outside the country.

The seven members of the band Bi-2 had been detained by Thailand on immigration charges, raising fears they risked deportation to Russia and even a show trial, although all its members had by Thursday been allowed to leave for Israel after a week-long ordeal.

Last year, its lead singer Egor Bortnik, who is better known by his stage name Lyova, on social media accused Putin of "destroying" the country, adding: "I will not return to Russia."

The band was detained on January 24 after it played a gig on Phuket, a southern island popular with Russian holidaymakers.

The band members were accused of performing without the proper papers and transferred to an immigration detention centre in Bangkok.

Bortnik had already left Thailand to fly to Israel earlier this week, with the rest of the band following to Tel-Aviv on Thursday.

Human Rights Watch said that the rockers risked being victims of "transnational repression", with the Russian authorities pressuring Bangkok to send them home.

After Putin sent troops to Ukraine nearly two years ago, hundreds of thousands of Russians........

© International Business Times