Convicted Promes may stay in Russia, but drug case could change that

Soccer player Quincy Promes, although sentenced to a one-and-a-half-year prison term, does not have to fear going to jail any time soon. Because he is appealing, for now the Netherlands will not submit an extradition request to Russia, the country where he lives and plays with Spartak Moscow.

What are the legal elements involved in Promes’ possible arrival in the Netherlands?

Promes was never on remand in the Netherlands for the cases of which he is suspected. However, he was arrested in late 2020, a few months after the stabbing he was convicted of this morning. He was released after two days and two months later, even before the public prosecutor had decided to prosecute him, he made a transfer from Ajax to Spartak Moscow.

More than two years later, the 31-year-old soccer player is still playing in Russia. He did not attend any of the hearings in the lawsuit against him. His lawyer Robert Malewicz initially pointed to Promes’ contractual obligations in Russia.

Meanwhile, a second case involving Promes is also in play. In this case, which revolves around the smuggling of 1,300 kilos of cocaine, Promes is internationally flagged. That means he can be arrested as soon as he sets foot on Dutch soil.

That is why the footballer is not considering leaving Russia, says Russia correspondent Iris de Graaf. “He has been working for some time to get a Russian passport,” she explains. “If he has that, all danger is gone. Because Russia does not extradite its own citizens.” But that procedure has been difficult, in part because of opposition from Russian politicians. For example, a member of parliament recently said that Russian citizenship is not for people with criminal records.

In principle, as long as Promes is not a Russian, the Dutch OM can ask Russia for extradition. This is only possible once a verdict is irrevocable. As soon as there is no ruling yet on the appeal, the latter is not the case.

Additional “luck” for Promes is that his work does not require him to cross the border: because of the war in Ukraine, Spartak, like all other Russian clubs, is not allowed to participate in international club tournaments, such as the Champions League.

The issue did come into play earlier this year when his club traveled to the United Arab Emirates because of a training camp. Promes stayed home then, according to Spartak “for personal reasons.”

Does that mean Promes is “safe” in Russia at least until the appeal? That depends on the course of the second trial against him, thinks correspondent De Graaf. “At Spartak they are mostly opportunistic: we have nothing to do with a stabbing in the Netherlands, they reason there. And Promes is very successful at his club. But against drug criminals they look differently here.”

Should it come to a conviction in that drug case, Promes will definitely be in trouble, De Graaf estimates. “His contract runs for another year, but then he might whistle for an extension. And without a work permit, he has a problem in Russia.”