The man with a good claim to being the most criminal international footballer of all time (and I think the only one to have ever been the subject of an Interpol Red Notice) has been arrested for a hit and run in Dubai and faces possible extradition to the Netherlands, where he has already been convicted in absentia in connection with a truly massive cocaine trafficking case, as well as a separate serious stabbing).
For those who haven't been tracking the young man
For those who haven't been tracking the young man
In December 2020, Promes was detained as a suspect in a stabbing incident that had happened in July. He was released shortly thereafter pending investigation. The victim was a relative of Promes who allegedly got into an argument with Promes before the incident happened. Promes denied involvement in the incident, but in November 2021 Dutch prosecutors concluded that he should be prosecuted. In March 2022, it was announced the specific charge Promes would face is attempted murder. A trial date was initially set for 30 March 2022, but it was later postponed due to a key participant of the trial falling ill and a new date was not immediately set. No travel restrictions have been imposed on Promes (instead, his assets in the Netherlands have been temporarily confiscated) and he has therefore been able to avoid pausing his career.
On 21 October 2022, the court set 3 March 2023 as the new date for Promes' criminal trial. Promes did not show up for the opening of his trial, opting to remain in Russia, with which the Netherlands does not have an extradition treaty. Prosecutors requested a two-year prison sentence. On 15 March 2023, it was reported that the trial was paused to assess the legality of a key piece of evidence. This referred to recordings of Promes speaking about his role in the stabbing incident in a call with his father, which the defense has argued could not be admissible in court as the warrant to tap Promes’ phone was issued based on an unrelated investigation into drug trafficking. Ultimately, it was determined that the attempted murder charge would be downgraded to an aggravated assaultcharge. On 19 June 2023, Promes was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment. His lawyer Robert Malevich said that they would be appealing the verdict, and Spartak released a statement saying that the decision does not take effect until the appeal process is complete.
On 30 May 2023, the Dutch prosecution service confirmed that after conducting the drug trafficking investigation, they had decided to prosecute Promes, alleging that he had attempted to import over 1.3 metric tonnes of cocaine through the Antwerp port back in January 2020. A hearing was set for 24 January 2024, in which the Dutch prosecution service demanded a nine-year prison term to him in absentia. On 14 February 2024, Promes was sentenced to 6 years in prison after being found guilty of drug trafficking. His lawyers have announced their intention to appeal the verdict. Promes has been put on the international wanted list, though the possibility of his extradition is assessed as low, in part because the Netherlands and Russia do not have a bilateral legal assistance treaty. Following his conviction, Dutch prosecutors seized nine houses owned by Promes in Almere, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Abcoude.
On 29 February 2024, Promes was detained, reportedly on a local offense, at the Al Maktoum International Airport by the Emirati police and was not allowed to board the flight to Saint Petersburg. Spartak was returning to Russia from a mid-season camp the club held in the UAE for a game against FC Zenit Saint Petersburg on 2 March 2024, and had to depart without Promes. He was released from custody the following day and barred from leaving Dubai until further notice.
On 21 October 2022, the court set 3 March 2023 as the new date for Promes' criminal trial. Promes did not show up for the opening of his trial, opting to remain in Russia, with which the Netherlands does not have an extradition treaty. Prosecutors requested a two-year prison sentence. On 15 March 2023, it was reported that the trial was paused to assess the legality of a key piece of evidence. This referred to recordings of Promes speaking about his role in the stabbing incident in a call with his father, which the defense has argued could not be admissible in court as the warrant to tap Promes’ phone was issued based on an unrelated investigation into drug trafficking. Ultimately, it was determined that the attempted murder charge would be downgraded to an aggravated assaultcharge. On 19 June 2023, Promes was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment. His lawyer Robert Malevich said that they would be appealing the verdict, and Spartak released a statement saying that the decision does not take effect until the appeal process is complete.
On 30 May 2023, the Dutch prosecution service confirmed that after conducting the drug trafficking investigation, they had decided to prosecute Promes, alleging that he had attempted to import over 1.3 metric tonnes of cocaine through the Antwerp port back in January 2020. A hearing was set for 24 January 2024, in which the Dutch prosecution service demanded a nine-year prison term to him in absentia. On 14 February 2024, Promes was sentenced to 6 years in prison after being found guilty of drug trafficking. His lawyers have announced their intention to appeal the verdict. Promes has been put on the international wanted list, though the possibility of his extradition is assessed as low, in part because the Netherlands and Russia do not have a bilateral legal assistance treaty. Following his conviction, Dutch prosecutors seized nine houses owned by Promes in Almere, Amsterdam, Utrecht and Abcoude.
On 29 February 2024, Promes was detained, reportedly on a local offense, at the Al Maktoum International Airport by the Emirati police and was not allowed to board the flight to Saint Petersburg. Spartak was returning to Russia from a mid-season camp the club held in the UAE for a game against FC Zenit Saint Petersburg on 2 March 2024, and had to depart without Promes. He was released from custody the following day and barred from leaving Dubai until further notice.
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