Dozens of half-naked Kyrgyz nationals were held in a Moscow bathhouse during a police raid, with some brutally beaten by masked officers, local media in Kyrgyzstan on April 14 reported furious lawmakers as saying. Some Kyrgyz activists protesting to the country’s elected chamber talked of “outright fascism”.

The Moscow Times reported that the Kyrgyz foreign ministry summoned Russian ambassador to Bishkek Sergey Vakunov to demand answers over reports of what appeared to be a violent and xenophobic police action [video] backed up by some form of civilian patrol group.

Member of Kyrgyzstan’s parliament, Zhanar Akayev, was reported by 24.kg as writing on Facebook: “Fellow citizens, can you believe that a large group of people, including OMON [riot police], stormed a bathhouse owned by a Kyrgyz entrepreneur in Moscow and brutally beat our compatriots?! Where is the reaction from the authorities, the Foreign Ministry, the embassy?

“Just recently, there was another raid on the premises of another Kyrgyz businessman, where people were beaten worse than by organised crime group members or terrorists. We are members of the EEU [Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union], allies, strategic partners – and are we going to stay silent while hundreds of our people are beaten?”

One of those detained, Alikhan, told Kazakh media outlet Ulys Media that the Kyrgyz nationals were beaten and held inside the bathhouse for five hours. Many were forced to lie face down and crawl, according to eyewitnesses’ accounts.

“We also tried to run away, but no one was allowed to leave. Then they started beating everyone. You couldn’t even tell who was hitting us – we weren’t allowed to lift our heads. They had batons and stun guns. One man had half of his beard shaved off right there. When he tried to resist, they beat him in the face. We had no idea why we were being attacked – no one even asked for documents,” Alikhan was reported as saying.

The beatings stopped after senior police officers arrived on the scene, he added.

Eyewitnesses also told Kyrgyz media that the masked men tore up documents of some of those held and subjected them to degrading treatment, including being forced to crawl on top of one another.

“We just don’t like you,” one of the masked men reportedly said when asked why they were using such force.

Pro-Kremlin outlet Tsargrad, without citing sources, reported on April 14 that the raid took place after complaints were made that the Kyrgyz-born owner of the bathhouse had barred ethnic Russians from entering.

Kyrgyzstan’s Labour Ministry said four of 24 detained Kyrgyz citizens were deported, with the rest released.

The Foreign Ministry said it had asked Ambassador Vakunov to clarify the legal basis for the raid and the use of such force.

“We asked to take effective measures to protect the rights of citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic and prevent… damaging the Kyrgyz-Russian relations of alliance and strategic partnership,” the ministry said in a statement.

Kommersant reported Russia’s Interior Ministry as later denying that Moscow police had used unlawful measures when making arrests at the bathhouse.