A Buddhist spiritual leader faces deportation from the United States — and the risk of death in a Russian prison
The Free Nations League expresses deep concern over the detention in the United States of Baldan Bazarov, a Buddhist lama and former abbot of the Kyren Datsan.
We call on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Executive Office for Immigration Review, the Department of Homeland Security and the court reviewing Mr. Bazarov’s case to prevent his deportation to Russia.
We urge the authorities to consider his case in light of the following critical circumstances:
- Baldan Bazarov is a public figure and a former religious leader. His open condemnation of the Kremlin’s aggressive foreign policy makes him a direct target for the Russian authorities. Russia has adopted laws criminalizing the so-called “discrediting” of the army and the spread of alleged “false information” about the military. People have received long prison sentences — in some cases up to 15 years — for similar statements. His return to Russia would all but guarantee his arrest and a politically motivated show trial.
- As a spiritual leader of the Buryat people, Mr. Bazarov represents an Indigenous minority. His antiwar position is viewed by the Kremlin not only as political dissent, but also as an act of defiance within a religious sphere that has been brought under tight state control. His refusal to submit makes him an enemy of the regime.
- Given his age — 65 — and his status as a religious dissident, imprisonment in Russia would pose a grave threat to his life. There is a serious risk that he could face torture, coercion or other forms of cruel treatment intended to force a public recantation.
- Baldan Bazarov is a man of high moral principle who has demonstrated, through his actions, a commitment to peace and nonviolence. His deportation would set a dangerous precedent and deal a devastating blow to the hopes of Indigenous peoples in Russia.
For these reasons, we call for Baldan Bazarov to be granted legal protection that would bar his removal to the Russian Federation.
It should also be noted that while in the United States, Mr. Bazarov did not seek charity or rely on public assistance. He worked honestly and remained a spiritual anchor for the Buryat diaspora.
Today, Baldan Bazarov is being held in immigration detention. If he is deported to Russia, he will face not merely prosecution, but the vengeance of a regime determined to punish him for his convictions.
We also appeal to human rights advocates, journalists and public figures to bring the widest possible attention to this case.
