BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) – Online influencer Andrew Tate has been detained in Romania and handed an arrest warrant issued by British authorities, his spokesperson announced Tuesday.
Tate, 37, and her brother Tristan Tate were held for 24 hours Monday night on suspicion of sexual assault in a British case dating from 2012 to 2015, spokeswoman Mattea Petrescu said.
He said the Bucharest Court of Appeal would make a “pivotal decision” on Tuesday on whether to execute a warrant issued by Westminster Magistrates Court in London, which could trigger extradition proceedings. Ta.
British-American former professional kickboxer and controversial influencer Andrew Tate (back, C) and his brother Tristan Tate (C) arrive before the Court of Appeal in Bucharest, Romania, on March 12, 2024. is being escorted by a police officer. Arrested on suspicion of sex crimes in UK. Romanian authorities said in a statement that they had executed “two European arrest warrants issued by the British judicial authorities for sexual offenses and exploitation on British territory”. The Bucharest Court of Appeal is expected to rule on whether to extend their detention later on March 12. (Photo by Daniel Mihailescu/AFP) (Photo by Daniel Mihailescu/AFP via Getty Images)
Four women had reported to British authorities alleging sexual and physical abuse against Andrew Tate, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to prosecute. The alleged victims then turned to crowdfunding to cover the legal costs of filing civil lawsuits against him.
“We submitted evidence about the horrific acts of violence endured and waited for action. But four years later we were told that the British authorities would not prosecute him,” they say on their campaign page. “That’s the only way we have to hold him accountable.”
It is not immediately clear what charges Tristan Tate is facing in the UK.
Mr Petrescu said on Tuesday that the Tate brothers, who are dual British and US citizens, rejected the accusations and expressed “deep disappointment that such serious allegations would be revived in the absence of any substantive new evidence”. “There is,” he said.
Andrew Tate is charged in a separate case in Romania with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal organization to sexually exploit women. He was arrested near Bucharest in December 2022 along with his brother and two Romanian women. Romanian prosecutors formally indicted all four in June, but they deny the charges.
Andrew Tate released from prison but remains under house arrest in Romania https://t.co/V6IbOzqakQ
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 1, 2023
Law firm McCue Jury & Partners, which represents four British women who have accused Andrew Tate of rape and serious physical and sexual assault, said in a statement on Tuesday that British police had It said it had requested “an immediate warrant” for Tate’s detention and extradition. It was after they received information last week that he may be intending to flee Romania.
Matthew Jury, managing partner at the law firm, said: “Today’s news was a huge concern as it was a serious concern for many that Mr Tate might try to avoid a trial in Romania or abroad. You are welcome.” “We are grateful to the British authorities for taking our concerns seriously and issuing an arrest warrant. Tate has been accused of serious criminal offenses against numerous victims and must be held to account. ”
The jury found that since his arrest in Romania, Tate had “spread a great deal of disinformation about the criminal charges he faces in the UK” in high-profile interviews with popular media figures including Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan. added.
Mr Tate, who has amassed 8.9 million followers under his former Twitter name X, has repeatedly claimed that Romanian prosecutors have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him. He had previously been banned from various prominent social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech.
On Tuesday, Tate’s X account posted, “The Matrix is scary, but the only thing I fear is God.” He uses the term “The Matrix” to refer to what he believes to be a widespread conspiracy targeting men.
BBC blocked Andrew Tate interview for UK viewers, accused of censorshiphttps://t.co/khfRI4YmhX
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 3, 2023
After the Tate brothers were arrested in Romania, they were held in police custody for three months before being transferred to house arrest. Later, they were confined to the city of Bucharest and the nearby areas of Ilfov County. They are currently unable to leave Romania. The Romanian case is still being argued at the pre-trial stage, a process in which the defendant challenges the prosecution’s evidence. No trial date has been set.
Last October, lawyers for alleged abuse victims held a press conference in Bucharest, accusing Andrew Tate and his supporters of trying to intimidate their clients into silence.
In January, Tate won an appeal challenging the seizure of his assets by Romanian authorities, but his assets were confiscated within weeks of his arrest.
Romanian authorities seized 15 luxury cars, 14 designer watches and cash in multiple currencies worth an estimated 3.6 million euros (approximately 390 million yen).
