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. VPI Event, the concert organizer, said it had obtained the incorrect permit, according to The Times, but said the band members' arrest was unusual. 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." Maksim Galkin, an anti-war Russian comedian, also said he was being targeted by Russia.

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