Self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate loses bid to end detention in Romania
Andrew Tate (centre left) and his brother Tristan before one of a number of Court of Appeal hearings to appeal their police detention, which was eventually granted and they were put on house arrest (AFP via Getty Images/DANIEL MIHAILESCU)
Misogynist influencer Andrew Tate will remain detained in Romania where he is being investigated for allegations of human trafficking and rape, a court has ruled.
He was arrested on 29 December 2022, alongside his brother, Tristan, and two Romanian nationals.
At the time, prosecutors said the group “appear to have created an organised crime group with the purpose of recruiting, housing and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic content meant to be seen on specialised websites for a cost”.
The controversial British-American influencer and his brother have denied the allegations.
Now, the Bucharest Appeals Court has rejected an appeal against the group’s 30-day detainment that was approved when they were arrested.
The Guardian reports the Tates’ lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, as telling local media he was “very disappointed” by the ruling.
“The measure seems excessive to me.”
The six-hour hearing also saw the defendants appeal the seizure of belongings, with a total of 15 luxury cars and more than 10 properties or plots of land in Romania seized so far, as reported by The Guardian.
Images from outside court show Andrew Tate carrying a copy of the Quran, the Islamic religious scripture.
The arrests came shortly after Andrew Tate had a spat on Twitter with climate activist Greta Thunberg.
It had been speculated authorities had been alerted to his whereabouts because of a video he posted as part of the spat, which featured a pizza box from a local Romanian chain.
However, Romanian authorities have denied this, as per a Reuters fact check.
But before that, Thunberg used it as a chance for one last jab at Tate, tweeting: “This is what happens when you don’t recycle your pizza boxes.”
The Reuters fact check goes on to explain authorities stated they had been investigating the Tate brothers since April 2022, which was supported by previous public statements by Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism.
Tate is known for having been removed from several social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, for his misogynistic and offensive content towards marginalised groups.
Criticism of comments he has made, including involving homophobia and racism, also led to his expulsion from the Big Brother house in 2016.
