The Bucharest Court of Appeal has ruled that controversial online influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan must remain in Romania while awaiting trial over human trafficking and rape charges.
The court overturned a decision that eased restrictions on the former kickboxer and his sibling, allowing them to travel freely within the 27-member European Union.
What did the court say?
In its decision, the court “dismisses as unfounded the request of the defendants to replace the obligation not to leave the territory of Romania with an obligation not to leave the territorial limit of the European Union.”
The ruling followed an appeal by prosecutors. The Tate brothers are under judicial supervision in Romania, a status reviewed every 60 days.
In a press statement, the Tates’ lawyer Eugen Vidineac announced that the brothers would “fully comply” with the court ruling.
The Bucharest Tribunal’s decision to allow the pair to leave the country had been hailed by his spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, as a “significant victory and a major step forward” in the case.
What are the charges against Tate?
The 37-year-old Tate, well known for his misogynistic views, was arrested along with his 36-year-old brother and two Romanian women, in late 2022 for suspected human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
They allegedly coerced female victims into “forced labor… and pornographic acts” for “substantial financial benefits.”
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After the December arrests, Romania’s anti-organized crime agency said in a statement that it had identified six victims in the human trafficking case.
It said they had been subjected to “acts of physical violence and mental coercion” and that they had been sexually exploited by members of the alleged crime group.
It said victims were lured with pretenses of love and later intimidated, placed under surveillance and subjected to other control tactics. They would then be coerced into engaging in pornographic acts for the financial gain of the criminal enterprise.
The brothers’ detention was commuted to house arrest in March 2023 and they were indicted in June. They were released in August on condition that they do not leave Romania.
After they stand trial in Romania, the brothers are to be extradited to the United Kingdom where they are charged in separate cases of rape and human trafficking committed between 2012 and 2015, as well as tax evasion.
Story By DW
