The Amsterdam Court of Appeal will not grant Quincy Promes safe passage if he sets foot on Dutch soil. The footballer recently stated that he would like to testify in his criminal cases, but only if he is not immediately arrested.
The court of appeal on Tuesday addressed Promes’ request to suspend the order for his arrest. The former Ajax player has been sentenced to a total of 7.5 years in prison in two different criminal cases.
This concerns one and a half years for stabbing his cousin and six years for his involvement in drug smuggling. For both cases, the court decided that Promes should be arrested immediately upon entering the Netherlands.
Promes resided in Russia for a long time, where he played for Spartak Moscow. The Netherlands does not have an extradition treaty with Russia, so Promes was free to move there.
He was arrested in Dubai in March 2024 while staying there with Spartak Moscow: the Netherlands has had an extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates for some time now. Since then, Promes has been staying there until a decision is made on the extradition request from the Dutch State.
Promes wanted to meet all possible conditions
His new lawyer, Cem Polat, asked the court on Tuesday to suspend the order for Promes’ immediate arrest, so that his client would not be arrested upon arrival in the Netherlands. This way he can travel freely and optimally fulfill the years he has left as a professional football player. Polat could not name a club that Promes could join.
Promes was willing to meet all possible conditions. He would report whenever the police wanted and be accountable in both criminal cases. As long as he could travel freely again. In the event of a conviction, he would go to prison without complaint.
The Public Prosecution Service opposed the suspension request and did not want to withdraw the international alert for Promes. The Advocate General did not know when a decision would be made in Dubai regarding Promes’ extradition.
The court decided not to agree to the suspension request. Especially because Promes could not specify which club he could join.