Death in custody pricks Dutch conscience When opposition activist Alexander Dolmatov fled Russian police investigations and applied for political asylum in the Netherlands last June, he said he was "happy to be in a safe country." But a Dutch court rejected Mr Dolmatov's application, and earlier this month he apparently committed suicide in a Rotterdam detention centre, touching off much finger-pointing and soul-searching in a country that has always regarded itself as a haven for exiles of conscience. The Netherlands" Queen Beatrix responded to a personal letter from Mr Dolmatov's mother, calling his death "a great tragedy" and promising a government investigation into its causes. An activist in the Another Russia opposition party, Mr Dolmatov was arrested after a demonstration against Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, in Moscow last May and claimed to have been threatened since. Asylum advocates in the Netherlands have questioned why Mr Dolmatov's application was rejected. They also ask why he was held in a harsh immigrant detention facility rather than an asylum centre, despite the fact that his lawyer had filed an appeal - a contravention of Dutch law. Local journalists have queried the Dutch authorities" initial response to the death. Charlotte Mensen, a government official, stated that Mr Dolmatov's suicide note said the denial of asylum was not the reason for his death. That claim looked doubtful after Mr Dolmatov's family published the letter, which said he had killed himself so as not to have to "return to Russia as a traitor." According to the government, an inquiry by an independent investigator is examining the questions surrounding his death. But the broader question was whether the Netherlands" increasingly sceptical attitude towards asylum seekers and immigrants of all stripes had contributed to the death of a man who was, according to those who knew him, exactly the sort of political refugee Dutch law is meant to protect. "All of the facts he presented were well documented and were believed by Dutch authorities," said Marq Wijngaarden, Mr Dolmatov's lawyer. In the beginning he was so enthusiastic, he was learning Dutch quickly. Most refugees don't bother with that during their application period," said Annemiek Bots, spokeswoman at the Dutch Council for Refugees, which worked with Mr Dolmatov. Along the way, as his case became more difficult, that changed. The Netherlands remains a leading destination for asylum seekers, with a rate of acceptance of over 40 per cent, the highest in the EU according to Eurostat. But asylum procedures have become more stringent over the past decade, in part under pressure from rightwing politicians hostile to immigration from Muslim countries and eastern Europe. Refugees who are unable to document the oppression they would face on return to their home countries have the most difficulty. In some cases, the Netherlands has denied asylum to Iranian Christian converts, saying they would not face oppression on return so long as they did not proselytise. While Mr Dolmatov had documentation, Dutch authorities believed the Russian government would only fine him for participating in an unlicensed demonstration. When several activists from Another Russia demonstrated in front of the Dutch embassy in Moscow on Wednesday, unfurling a banner reading "Dolmatov's blood is on your hands," police arrested them immediately. It remains unclear why Mr Dolmatov did not wait out his appeal, which should have given him an additional six to eight months before a final decision. It is also not clear why he was placed in one of the strict detention units used for illegal immigrants awaiting deportation, which according to the human rights group Amnesty have regimens tougher than those for prisons housing ordinary criminals. "The big question for us is, what was this gentleman doing in one of those detention centres," said Nicole Sprokel of Amnesty. The independent investigator is expected to issue a report within six to eight weeks, before a scheduled April visit by Mr Putin as part of a year-long celebration of Dutch-Russian relations.