(Bucharest) The Romanian justice system on Tuesday overturned on appeal the decision authorizing British male influencer Andrew Tate to move freely within the European Union, pending his trial for rape and human trafficking in an organized gang.
The court, which had been seized by the prosecution after the lifting of travel restrictions on July 5 by the Bucharest court, “founded unfounded” Andrew Tate’s request to be able to leave the territory of Romania, according to a ruling published online.
The 37-year-old influencer and his brother Tristan, 35, who was also involved, were arrested in late 2022 and spent three months in detention in Bucharest. They are under judicial supervision and are not allowed to leave the Eastern European country, a regime that is reviewed every 60 days.
“We respect this decision,” their lawyer Eugen Vidineac said in a statement to the press. “Tristan and Andrew Tate will fully comply with it.” […] and remain committed to clearing their names and reputations before the courts,” he added.
Indicted in June 2023, they are accused of having trapped women by simulating feelings, before forcing them to produce pornographic films. Andrew Tate must also answer for two rapes. The two brothers, who deny all the allegations, are also targeted by a “European arrest warrant” issued by the British authorities for similar acts.
They are also accused of tax fraud in the United Kingdom for income of nearly 25 million euros from activities on the Internet. The Romanian justice system had indicated in March that it was ready to accept their extradition, but only after their trial in Romania, which could take years. No date has yet been set.
Andrew Tate lives with his brother in a villa near the capital Bucharest. He appeared last weekend on stage alongside the American-Moroccan rapper French Montana at a festival on the Black Sea coast.
Born in the United States in 1986, he has been in Romania for several years, where he said he appreciated “the freedom” and “the fact that corruption is accessible to everyone.”
Banned from Instagram and TikTok for misogynistic comments, the kickboxer is followed by 9.7 million people on the social network X, where he shows off his bulging muscles, smokes cigars and fascinates millions of teenagers with his luxury cars. He sells his advice to men to help them become rich.