In Bucharest, Romania, a court ruled that social media influencer Andrew Tate is permitted to leave Romania but must stay within the European Union until his trial on accusations of human trafficking, rape, and running a criminal group to exploit women. The Bucharest Tribunal’s decision allowing Tate, 37, to depart the country was seen as a significant development by his spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu. It is unknown if prosecutors will challenge the court’s ruling.
Tate, a former professional kickboxer with dual British and U.S. citizenship, was arrested near Bucharest in December 2022 along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women. All four were formally charged by Romanian prosecutors in June of the following year and have denied the allegations.
Following the court decision, Tate took to the social media platform X, declaring, “I AM FREE. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 3 YEARS I CAN LEAVE ROMANIA. THE SHAM CASE IS FALLING APART.” Tate’s lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, praised the court’s ruling as a testimony to his clients’ conduct and assistance and reaffirmed their commitment to clearing their name.
In April, the Bucharest Tribunal determined that the prosecutors’ case against Tate met legal requirements and that a trial could proceed, without setting a specific start date. This decision followed months of deliberation during the preliminary stages, during which the defendants could challenge the prosecutors’ evidence.
After their initial arrest, the Tate brothers were detained for three months before being placed under house arrest. Their movement was subsequently restricted to Bucharest and the nearby Ilfov county, then to all of Romania. Vidineac highlighted that being able to travel within the EU will enable the Tates to pursue professional opportunities freely.
Andrew Tate, with a significant following on the X platform, has consistently maintained that there is no evidence against him and has alleged a political plot to silence him. He had previously faced bans from multiple social media platforms for purportedly espousing misogynistic views and hate speech.
In a separate development, Tate was served with a civil lawsuit at his Romanian residence by four British women, who claimed he sexually and physically assaulted them and reported him to British authorities in 2014 and 2015. Despite a 2019 decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to prosecute him, the alleged victims pursued a civil case against him through crowdfunding.
In another instance, the Tate brothers were summoned to the Bucharest Court of Appeal following the issuance of British warrants over allegations of sexual misconduct dating back to 2012-2015. The appeals court approved extradition to the UK, pending the conclusion of legal proceedings in Romania.
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McGrath’s reporting originated from Brasov, Romania.
