Suicide of Aleksandr Dolmatov explained

Aleksandr Yuryevich Dolmatov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Ю́рьевич Долма́тов; 12 September 1976  - 17 January 2013 Rotterdam) was a Russian opposition activist. Dolmatov killed himself in a Dutch detention centre.

Biography

Dolmatov was born on 12 September 1976. In 2004 he took a job at a government-owned defense firm Tactical Missiles Corporation.[1]

Oppositional activities

Dolmatov was a member of the unregistered National Bolshevik Party and the opposition party The Other Russia.[2]

Beginning in 2010 Dolmatov took part in all actions of Strategy-31, a series of civic protests in Moscow.[1] Dolmatov was repeatedly detained during Strategy-31 actions.

Dolmatov had participated in the so-called "March of Millions", an opposition demonstration on 6 May 2012 which resulted in clashes with police. Dolmatov was detained by police.

Death

Dolmatov went to the Netherlands in June 2012, fearing arrest in Russia. He sought political asylum there, but in December the Immigration and Naturalisation Service turned down his application. Dolmatov was found dead in a Rotterdam deportation centre early on 17 January 2013.[3]

On 18 April 2013, the State Secretary for the 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 investigation of the suicide of Dolmatov found that multiple parts of the Dutch immigration system failed him, including medical, legal and state organizations.[4]

Reactions

On 18 January 2013, opposition activists picketed the Dutch Embassy in Moscow[5] and Saint Petersburg,[6] Russia and Kyiv,[7] Ukraine in memory of Aleksandr Dolmatov. Some observers remained convinced that Dolmatov killed himself under duress after being approached twice by secret police.[8] [9]

Dolmatov's lawyer Yevgeny Arkhipov criticised the Dutch decision to place him in a deportation centre.[8]

Russia's Foreign Ministry said it had demanded the Netherlands investigate Aleksandr Dolmatov's death.[10] [11] In an interview on 10 February Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Dolmatov was a Russian citizen, and it absolutely did not matter what were his political views. According to him, Foreign Ministry defends Russian citizens regardless of their political views as this is the statutory requirement and moral, not just official, duty.[12] On 11 April he called Alexander Dolmatov's case "a tragedy of no minor importance".[13]

The Dutch ambassador to Moscow said that Dolmatov's death was not triggered by the refusal to grant him asylum in the Netherlands.[14] The Dutch Queen Beatrix called the suicide of Dolmatov a "great tragedy".[15] [16] [17]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: "Посадили бы и прессовали по полной программе". 25 June 2018.
  2. Web site: BBC Russian - В мире - Мать Долматова написала письмо королеве Нидерландов. www.bbc.co.uk. 25 June 2018.
  3. Web site: Первая смерть в "болотном деле". 25 June 2018.
  4. http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2013/04/junior_justice_minister_surviv.php Junior justice minister survives debate over Dolmatov suicide
  5. http://drugoros.ru/news/1/3127.html В Москве прошла акция памяти Александра
  6. http://drugoros.ru/news/1/3124.html Петербургские другороссы провели акцию памяти Александра Долматова у консульства Нидерландов
  7. Teeven stelt onderzoek in naar dood Russische asielzoeker 'die onterecht vastzat', NRC Handelsblad (18 January 2013)
    Picket in memory about the Russian member of the opposition Aleksandr Dolmatov, UNIAN (18 January 2013)
  8. http://izvestia.ru/news/543246 Правозащитники требуют от Голландии ответить за гибель Долматова
  9. Web site: Эдуард Лимонов о суициде Александра Долматова: "Сашу допрашивали с пристрастием" . Александр КОЦ - Сайт «Комсомольской правды» . 19 January 2013 . 25 June 2018.
  10. Web site: Москва потребовала от Нидерландов расследовать смерть Долматова. 18 January 2013. 25 June 2018.
  11. Web site: Москва требует скорейшего расследования смерти оппозиционера Долматова. vesti.ru. 25 June 2018.
  12. https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign%20policy/news/1655647/
  13. https://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1711056/
  14. Web site: Власти Нидерландов не связывают самоубийство Александра Долматова с отказом в предоставлении ему политического убежища в стране. Эхо Москвы. 25 June 2018.
  15. Web site: Королева Нидерландов прокомментировала смерть Долматова: "большая трагедия" и "сложный случай". 25 June 2018.
  16. Web site: Beatrix: dood Dolmatov tragedie. 25 June 2018.
  17. http://top.rbc.ru/politics/22/01/2013/841648.shtml Королева Нидерландов ответила на обращение матери А.Долматова