Andrew Tate, the controversial former kickboxer turned social media influencer, and his brother Tristan have lost their appeal and will remain in detention in Romania on allegations of human trafficking and rape, CNN affiliate Antena 3 reported Wednesday.
The brothers will remain in the custody of Bucharest Police until February 27, Antena 3 reported. The court’s decision is final.
Romanian police raided five homes and arrested the brothers and two other suspects on December 30.
They allege the suspects had formed an organized criminal group that stretched from Romania to Britain and the United States, for the purpose of human trafficking.
The authorities allege that two of the suspects misled victims “into believing that they intended to enter into a marriage/cohabitation relationship” while transporting them to Romania and later sexually exploiting them with physical violence and coercion.
Authorities also allege that one of the suspects raped a victim on two separate occasions in March 2022. At least six victims were allegedly “sexually exploited by the organized criminal group,” according to a statement by Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT).
On January 25, the brothers protested their innocence after being taken for questioning and having their electronic devices seized for analysis.
“There’s no evidence in my file because I’ve done nothing wrong. Everybody knows I’m innocent, ” Andrew Tate said. As he was led into DIICOT headquarters, he added: “There is no justice in Romania.”
Ioan Gliga, one of the Tate brothers’ lawyers, told reporters at the time: “We are convinced that the evidence is in favor of our clients, categorically not against them.”
Romanian police have searched 12 properties as part of their investigation, DIICOT said in mid-January. Romanian authorities have also seized roughly 18 million lei ($3,942,700) worth of assets belonging to Andrew Tate, including motor vehicles, luxury watches and sums of money in several different currencies, according to the country’s Asset Recovery and Management Agency.
Andrew Tate is known for his viral rants online about male dominance, female submission and wealth. He openly advocates violence against women, and had previously been banned from every major social media platform until Elon Musk reinstated his Twitter account after taking over the company.
He rose in prominence earlier this year, with many adults including school teachers voicing alarm about his misogynistic ideas taking root in the minds of countless young boys. Before it was taken down, his TikTok account racked up about 11.6 billion views. (CNN)