Influencer Andrew Tate and his brother face serious charges in Romania, including human trafficking and rape, with legal proceedings ongoing and extradition to the UK pending.
ADVERTISEMENTA court in Romania's capital has cleared the way for a trial to proceed in the case of influencer Andrew Tate, who faces charges of human trafficking, rape, and leading a criminal group to sexually exploit women.
The Bucharest Tribunal decided that the prosecutors' case against Tate met the necessary legal standards, though a trial date has not yet been set.
Tate's spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, confirmed that an appeal has been lodged against the ruling.
'We consider the ruling unjust'
Andrew Tate, 37, was detained in December 2022 near Bucharest alongside his brother, Tristan Tate, and two Romanian women. Last June, Romanian prosecutors formally indicted all four individuals, who have consistently denied the allegations.
Following the tribunal's decision, Eugen Vidineac, one of the brothers' legal representatives, criticised the ruling for lacking legal justification and rationale.
"We have submitted a robust appeal as we consider the ruling to be unjust," Vidineac stated.
The legal proceedings have been ongoing for months, involving preliminary chamber discussions where the defendants could contest the evidence and case details presented by the prosecutors.
"We stand by the integrity of the arguments presented during the preliminary hearing and the legality of the criminal investigation," remarked Ioan Gliga, another lawyer for the Tates. "Despite the lack of attention received in the preliminary hearing, we are confident that the appeals court will support our position."
A long road for the Tate brothers
Andrew Tate, known for his large following on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), with 9.1 million followers, has consistently claimed that Romanian prosecutors lack evidence against him and allege a political conspiracy aimed at silencing him.
Tate has faced previous bans from prominent social media platforms due to misogynistic remarks and hate speech. Both Tate brothers hold dual British-U.S. citizenship.
Recently, the Bucharest Tribunal extended travel restrictions for Tate, a former professional kickboxer, prohibiting him from leaving the country. Tate had sought permission to travel within the European Union with prior judicial approval.
Following their arrest, the Tate brothers spent three months in police custody before being placed under house arrest. Initially confined to Bucharest Municipality and nearby Ilfov County, they are now permitted to move freely within Romania.
In a separate legal matter, the Tate brothers appeared before the Bucharest Court of Appeal last month after British authorities issued arrest warrants related to alleged sexual offences in the UK from 2012 to 2015.
The appeals court granted the extradition request from the UK, but execution of this decision will occur only after the conclusion of legal proceedings in Romania.