Legal and Diplomatic Tangles Surround the Dutch Footballer Promes
Legal commentator Dmitry Romanenko has suggested that granting Russian citizenship to Dutch football star Quincy Promes could shield him from extradition to Interpol. He argued in an interview that once Interpol issues a notification, Russia would remain willing to cooperate, but with citizenship, Promes would be protected since Russia does not extradite its own citizens, even to international agencies. According to Romanenko, without Russian citizenship, Promes could be stranded and without a clear legal path while staying within Russian territory.
In February, Amsterdam’s court handed Promes a six-year prison sentence for cocaine trafficking, following a hearing held in January where prosecutors had sought a nine-year term. Shortly after the verdict, on February 16, Promes was added to Interpol’s wanted list, triggering international legal scrutiny and a new set of diplomatic considerations for all involved parties.
On March 1, journalist Ivan Karpov reported that Promes was detained in Dubai after an accident. He reportedly fled the scene in an attempt to avoid attention. Local authorities later apprehended him at the airport while he was preparing to travel from the United Arab Emirates to Russia. He remained in Dubai for several days before planning a return to Russia. Reports on March 5 indicated that Promes’s girlfriend released footage from a nightclub showing him during a period of house arrest, a detail that drew additional media attention to the case.
Earlier remarks attributed to Promes described him as very arrogant, a characterization that has colored media coverage and public perception throughout the unfolding events.