The Dutch foreign minister has apologised to Moscow for the detention of a Russian diplomat in The Hague, saying his right to immunity had been violated.

Russia claims that diplomat Dmitri Borodin was forcefully arrested by unidentified, armed officers at his home, and assaulted in front of his children. He was apparently then detained for several hours over the weekend.

The Netherlands denies any force was used.

Russian president, Vladimir Putin, was indignant about the incident:

“This is a blatant violation of the Vienna Convention,” he said, adding “we are awaiting an explanation, an apology and also the punishment of those responsible. Depending on how the Dutch side conducts itself, we will react.”

Dutch media agency ANP reports that the police had received complaints about Borodin’s treatment of his children. Yet the diplomat implied in a tweet that the police had actually assaulted them.

Russia has lodged a formal diplomatic protest over the incident and is said to have summoned the Dutch ambassador to their Foreign Ministry in Moscow to demand an “exhaustive explanation” of the situation.

Tensions between the Netherlands and Russia are already fraught, after the recent arrest of two Dutch Greenpeace activists in Russia.