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Dutch government to pay compensation to Russian activist Dolmatov’s mother

Alexander Dolmatov was a Russian opposition activist. He committed suicide in a Dutch detention centre

© EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV

THE HAGUE, January 16, /ITAR-TASS/. The government of the Netherlands has agreed to pay compensation to the mother of Russian opposition activist Alexander Dolmatov, who committed suicide in a Dutch accommodation centre while waiting for his deportation to Russia.

The news was reported by the Dutch television channel NOS, which referred to officials in the Ministry of Security and Justice, who declined to disclose the sum of the compensation and said that the details of the agreement were still being discussed.

NOS, which stands for Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation), had earlier quoted the Ministry of Security and Justice’s State Secretary Fred Teeven as saying that the government would take full responsibility for the mistakes made in the Dolmatov case and was engaged in negotiations on compensation to his family.

Alexander Dolmatov was a Russian opposition activist. He committed suicide in a Dutch detention centre. He worked a government-owned defence firm Tactical Missiles Corporation. Dolmatov was member of unregistered National Bolshevik Party and opposition party The Other Russia.

Since 2010 Dolmatov took part in all actions of Strategy-31 -- a series of civic protests in Moscow -- and was repeatedly detained during Strategy-31 actions. Dolmatov had participated in the so-called March of Millions -- an opposition demonstration in May 2012 which resulted in clashes with police. Dolmatov was detained by police.

Dolmatov went to the Netherlands in June 2012, fearing arrest in Russia, to seek political asylum in the Netherlands, but in December the Immigration and Naturalisation Service turned down his application. Dolmatov was found dead in a Rotterdam deportation centre early on January 17, 2013.

On April 18, 2013, State Secretary for Security and Justice Fred Teeven survived a vote of no confidence on his handling of asylum seekers; the debate was called following a Dutch government agency investigating of the suicide of Dolmatov found that multiple parts of the Dutch immigration system failed him, including medical, legal and state organisations.

Some observers remained convinced that Dolmatov took his own life under duress after being approached twice by secret police. However the Dutch ambassador to Moscow said that Dolmatov’s death was not triggered by the refusal to grant him asylum in the Netherlands.

Dutch queen Beatrix said Dolmatov’s suicide was “a great tragedy.”

The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded that the Netherlands investigate his death.

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