Were the Kyrgyz treated "within the law" in the bathhouse in Moscow?

In the “Bodrost” bathhouse in Moscow, security forces conducted a raid against citizens of Kyrgyzstan. During the raid, migrants were forced to crawl half-naked, and most of them were laid face down.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia explained this cruel treatment as being due to “migrants resisting law enforcement officers.”

According to the available information, during the operation, foreign citizens resisted law enforcement officers. Because of that, appropriate measures were taken against these foreigners.

At the same time, our security service personnel acted within the scope of their powers and in accordance with Russian law, the ministry emphasized.

It was noted that the raid was planned and was not specifically directed against citizens of any particular country. During the raid, 59 foreign citizens were detained, of which 25 were in Russia in violation of migration laws.

Some of those detained are suspected of having “connections with radical groups.”

Kyrgyzstan’s Human Rights Ombudsman, Jamila Jamanbayeva, during her meeting with her Russian counterpart Tatyana Moskalkova, expressed concern about the proportionality of the use of force in the “Bodrost” bathhouse complex.

When watching the footage of the incident, questions arise regarding the proportionality and justification of the use of force by law enforcement during the mass arrest of Kyrgyz citizens.

Any administrative or coercive measures applied to Kyrgyz citizens must comply with procedural rights and international obligations.
Kyrgyzstan is a full member of the Eurasian Economic Union, Jamanbayeva reminded.

Moskalkova said that she had already responded and that after her appeal, the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office and the migration authorities began an investigation into the incident at “Bodrost.”

The incident occurred on April 10 at a bathhouse complex owned by a Russian citizen originally from Kyrgyzstan.

Photos and videos that circulated show law enforcement officers in balaclavas and wearing red armbands beating clients of the bathhouse, forcing them to lie face down, crawl, or move on their knees, and even walking over the backs of those lying down.

Regarding the situation, Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian ambassador Sergey Vakunov and handed him an official note demanding an explanation.

The Kyrgyz side asked Russia to take practical steps to protect the rights of its citizens and to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.

It was emphasized that such events could damage the allied and strategic partnership between Kyrgyzstan and Russia.

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Labor, Social Protection, and Migration’s office in Moscow submitted appeals to the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Moscow Prosecutor’s Office, the Russian Ombudsman, and other institutions requesting action regarding the incident in the “Bodrost” bathhouse. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!