Andrew Tate, a controversial influencer and former professional kickboxer with British-American citizenship, has lost his third appeal for a 30-day detention extension.
He is currently held on suspicion of organized crime and human trafficking. The decision was made by the Bucharest Court of Appeal and was upheld by Romania’s anti-organized crime agency DIICOT.
Tate is known for his misogynistic views and having 5.2 million Twitter followers. He was arrested alongside his brother Tristan, who is also held in the same case. Both have lost three separate appeals against decisions to extend their detention while investigations continue.
They are expected to remain in jail until at least March 29, according to Ramona Bolla, a spokesperson for DIICOT.
Two women held in the same case were previously placed under house arrest, but prosecutors successfully appealed against the decision, placing them in full detention instead. Currently, none of the four has been formally charged.
The judge’s decision to extend their detention took into account the “particular dangerousness of the defendants” and their capacity to identify victims “with an increased vulnerability, in search of better life opportunities.” Tate, who has lived in Romania since 2017, has expressed concerns that this is a “political” conspiracy designed to silence him.
He has previously been banned from social media platforms for his misogynistic views and hate speech.
The DIICOT has stated that it has identified six victims in the human trafficking case, who were allegedly subjected to “acts of physical violence and mental coercion” and sexually exploited by members of the alleged crime group.
The victims were lured with pretenses of love and later intimidated, placed under surveillance, and subjected to other control tactics while being coerced into engaging in pornographic acts for the financial gain of the crime group.
In January, Romanian authorities seized assets worth an estimated $3.9 million from a compound near Bucharest linked with the Tate brothers, including luxury cars such as a Rolls-Royce, a Ferrari, and a Porsche.
Prosecutors have stated that if they can prove the cars’ owners gained money through illicit activities such as human trafficking, the assets would be used to cover the expenses of the investigation and to compensate victims.
In conclusion, Andrew Tate, the controversial influencer and former kickboxer, has lost his third appeal for a 30-day detention extension.
Tate is held on suspicion of organized crime and human trafficking alongside his brother Tristan, and two women who have yet to be formally charged.
The decision to extend their detention was based on the “particular dangerousness of the defendants” and their capacity to identify victims. The DIICOT has identified six victims who were allegedly subjected to physical and mental coercion and sexually exploited by members of the alleged crime group.
The seizure of assets worth $3.9 million from the Tate brothers’ compound near Bucharest is expected to cover the expenses of the investigation and compensate victims if prosecutors can prove that the cars’ owners gained money through illicit activities.