I'll stress it again, the "save the family" theory is completely unsubstantiated.
Apart from the narrative that "Putin is evil and kills people" (which is true in itself but saying that it has something to do with Panarin is stretching it madly).
Why now? Why not a year ago? Why even take a leave if he's really up to moving them?
It's completely made up by random people posting stuff they find unquestionable in teh Internets.
The reason above is compelling, but carries nothing to tie it to Bread. His "opposition" to Putin is even only got notoriety simply bc he's an athlete, and with a high-profile athlete in Russia it surely gets noticed.
And most don't do it (speak out) not out of fear but either bc they're dumb, don't care, or most often choose to be on good terms with those in power solely for their personal gain (Ovechkin is a perfect example).
That's it, nothing more to see here. He's not the first and not the last to speak out too.
I still believe it's the org doing, maybe they know more about the issue, maybe they're just afraid.
Anyway I believe this was exactly the plan by those who did it. And they're are professional if rather unsophisticated political trolls.
As for the alleged "incident", even if he did hit somebody in a bar 10 years ago SO WHAT? He's 18, drunk and relatively unknown. The other party could've shared some or all of these traits then. How often these premises lead to some altercation in a bar anywhere in the world? Like this very minute?
And what's the diff if he hit a girl or a boy, aren't we all equal now? If it was just a push or a shove or a slap, then it shouldn't matter surely? And if he beat someone to a pulp... all the more so. In the latter case though (and only in the latter case) might pose a problem.
Anyway the org must surely understand, even if he *did* req a LOA, the continuing unexplained absence raises doubt.