A Romanian court upheld a second 30-day detention of former kickboxer and misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate following his arrest in December.
Per the Associated Press, the 36-year-old controversial figure lost his appeal against a decision last month to extend his arrest for a further 30 days. Romania’s anti-organized crime agency DIICOT spokesperson Ramona Bolla confirmed that Tate, who was arrested alongside his brother Tristan on suspicion of organized crime and human trafficking, lost his appeal against the Jan. 20 decision.
Tate appeared at Bucharest Court of Appeal in handcuffs this week alongside his brother. The brothers and two Romanian women who are also being held had their appeals rejected, and they will remain in custody until at least Feb. 27. None of them have been formally charged in the case. Per the judge on the case, the extension on their detention was granted due to the “particular dangerousness of the defendants.”
“The defense team made extensive legal arguments pointing out the lack of evidence against the Tate brothers,” said Tate's lawyer Tina Glandian, who previously represented Mike Tyson and Chris Brown. “It’s no secret that the Tate brothers are controversial public personas, but this is not about their public persona ... this is about the violation of international human rights and the due process of law.”
Upon leaving court on Wednesday, Tate told reporters, “Ask them for evidence and they will give you none, because it doesn’t exist. You’ll find out the truth of this case soon.” In a post shared on his Twitter account last week, he said there’s “zero evidence” against him and the case is purely “political” about “about attacking my influence on the world.”
DIICOT has reportedly identified six victims of Tate’s alleged human trafficking, who were said to have been subjected to “acts of physical violence and mental coercion” and were sexually exploited. Tate, who has made a big show of his apparent wealth, had his luxury vehicles including a $2.9 million Bugatti Chiron seized by Romanian authorities last month.
