Recruitment attempts

The Other Russia activist Alexander Dolmatov, who committed suicide in the Netherlands after being refused political asylum, was tried to be recruited by the FSB - the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad writes about this, which Lenta.Ru refers to. The newspaper published fragments of Dolmatov’s interrogations by the Dutch police.

From these interrogations it follows that the FSB first tried to recruit Dolmatov even before he joined the “Other Russia” - in 2008. Dolmatov worked as a designer at the Tactical Missile Weapons missile company, and FSB officers contacted him through management, but he refused to cooperate. Then, after joining an unregistered party, in November 2011, the FSB made a second attempt. He was offered to work in Europe and carry out special secret assignments, but was informed that in Russia he would have to “play the role of a traitor,” the newspaper writes. Dolmatov refused again.

The story of Dolmatov's suicide remains unclear. His Dutch lawyer Mark Wijnhaarden told Lenta.Ru that his client was illegally placed in a deportation center in Rotterdam. On January 11, the lawyer filed an appeal against the decision to refuse Dolmatov asylum, and according to the law, the Russian could not be deported until the appeal was considered. At the same time, Wijnhaarden notes that approximately two months before his death, his client’s behavior changed: he allegedly became secretive and refused to talk about the Russian special services. In a conversation with The New Times magazine, Weingarden did not rule out, however, that the FSB could have found Dolmatov in the Netherlands. On January 13, Dolmatov attempted to commit suicide. Dolmatov's published suicide note states that he does not want to return to Russia as a traitor.

The New Times published fragments of Dolmatov’s diary, in which his comrades see a list of the “Other Russia” events with his participation and the circumstances of conversations between representatives of the authorities. It is assumed that Dolmatov was threatened with drugs.

On January 22, the Dutch authorities announced that Dolmatov was denied asylum because the Ministry of Security and Justice considered that the maximum penalty he could face in Russia was a fine of 500 rubles.