Report: ICE detains Russian Buddhist lama who spoke out against war in Ukraine, deportation possible

Source: People of Baikal

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have detained Baldan Bazarov, a Russian Buddhist lama and former abbot of the Kyrensky datsan in the Tunkinsky District of Buryatia, the Russian news outlet People of Baikal reports. The detention took place on April 29. Bazarov may face deportation, the outlet said.

No further details about the circumstances of his detention have been made available.

After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, Bazarov spoke out openly against the war. “Buddha said: you cannot kill even a mosquito, even a bedbug. Every living creature is sacred. All the more so — [you cannot kill] a person,” People of Baikal quoted the lama as saying.

Bazarov emigrated to the United States because of his position and applied for political asylum, according to the outlet. In the United States he worked odd jobs — as a hotel cleaner, a courier, and in a laundry. In the past year he had been living in California and working as a driver.

During Donald Trump’s second presidential term, the United States has tightened its immigration policies. Among those being expelled in large numbers are anti-war Russians who have been denied asylum — many of whom face persecution if returned to Russia.

At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.

If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at reports@meduza.io.

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Report: ICE detains Russian Buddhist lama who spoke out against war in Ukraine, deportation possible

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