Screenshot: Janar Akaev / Facebook
Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry has summoned Russia’s ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Sergey Vakunov, in response to the detention and reported abuse of Kyrgyz nationals during a police raid on a bathhouse complex in Moscow on Friday, the ministry announced on Monday.
Screenshot: Janar Akaev / Facebook
The raid was first reported on Saturday by Kyrgyz lawmaker Janar Akaev, who accused Russian law enforcement officers of brutally assaulting the men inside the bathhouse and shared a video showing people lying on the floor with their hands covering their heads, while an officer can be heard shouting, “Lower your head! That’s better.”
A Kyrgyz taxi driver who was at the bathhouse on Friday and who gave his name solely as Alikhan, told Kazakh news outlet Ulys Media on Sunday that the raid had lasted for nearly five hours, during which time the bathhouse clientele was subjected to beatings, humiliation, and degrading treatment.
One man had half of his beard shaved off, while others were forced to eat large quantities of hot peppers, Alikhan recounted, adding that officers conducting the raid had been armed with batons and stun guns. When one bathhouse visitor asked a policeman why they were carrying out the raid, he was told simply: “We just don’t like you,” Alikhan told the outlet.
Officers allegedly discovered a bottle of nasvay — a chewing tobacco product widely used in Central Asia — and compelled several detainees to chew it. Some were made to arm wrestle, with those who lost being beaten by security personnel. There were further claims of officers tearing up personal documents, confiscating cash from people’s pockets, and forcing individuals to jump into the pool fully clothed.
Bishkek has asked Moscow to clarify the legal grounds for the raid and explain why excessive force was reportedly used against those present. Additionally, Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry called on the Russian authorities to take disciplinary measures against the officers engaging in what it described as “the unwarranted use of violence”.
Russia’s Interior Ministry has denied allegations of misconduct, and has insisted that the raid was conducted lawfully and that 59 foreign nationals were taken to a police station. The Russian authorities said administrative protocols were drawn up against 25 individuals for violating residency regulations, and that a court had subsequently ordered their deportation.
The incident threatens to strain relations between Kyrgyzstan and Russia, at a time when migrant labor and the treatment of Central Asian nationals in Russia remain sensitive and politically charged issues.
