Andrew Tate will appeal for a third arrest warrant extension in Romania
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) – Andrew Tate, the divisive social media influencer and former professional kickboxer detained in Romania on suspicion of organized crime and human trafficking, arrived Monday at an appeals court in the capital Bucharest to challenge a decision last week. For the third time, his detention has been extended by 30 days.
Tate, 36, a British-American who has 5.2 million Twitter followers, arrived at the appeals court in handcuffs next to his brother Tristan, who is jailed in the same case. Two Romanian women are also under house arrest in this case.
The Tates, who were initially detained in Bucharest in late December, will see the judge overturn Decision of 21 February At the request of prosecutors to extend their detention for a third time by 30 days. If the court rules against them on Monday, they will remain in custody at least until the end of March.
The brothers are already there Lost two previous appeals Against a previous 30-day extension that kept them behind bars while the investigation continued. None of the four have yet been formally charged.
A document explaining the earlier decision to keep them in prison said the judge considered “the particular dangerousness of the defendants” and the ability to identify victims “with an increased vulnerability to seeking opportunities for a better life.”
Tate, who has been living in Romania since 2017, was previously banned from various social media platforms for expressing indecent views and hate speech. He repeatedly claimed that Romanian prosecutors had no evidence and alleged that their case was a “political” conspiracy designed to silence him.
Romania’s Anti-Organized Crime Agency said in a statement after the arrests in December that it had identified six victims in the human trafficking case who had been subjected to “acts of physical violence and emotional coercion” and sexual exploitation by members of alleged crime groups.
The agency said victims were lured with pretense of love and then subjected to intimidation, surveillance and other control tactics to engage in pornographic work for the crime group’s financial gain.
In January, Romanian authorities descended on a compound near Bucharest linked to the Tate brothers and took away a fleet of luxury cars that included a Rolls-Royce, a Ferrari and a Porsche. They reportedly seized assets worth an estimated $3.9 million.
Prosecutors said that if they can prove that the car’s owners obtained money through illegal activities such as human trafficking, the assets will be used to cover the costs of the investigation and compensate victims. Tate also unsuccessfully appealed the asset forfeiture.
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Stephen McGrath reports from Sighisoara.
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