CNN
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Andrew Tate, the controversial former kickboxer turned social media influencer, and his brother Tristan have lost their appeal and will remain in detention in Romania on allegations of human trafficking and rape, CNN affiliate Antena 3 reports. Wednesday.
The brothers will remain in the custody of the Bucharest Police until February 27, reported Antena 3. The court’s decision is final.
Romanian police raided five houses and arrested the brothers and two other suspects on December 30.
They allege that the suspects formed an organized criminal group from Romania to Britain and the United States, for the purpose of human trafficking.
Authorities said two of the suspects misled the victims “into the belief that they intended to enter into a marriage/cohabitation relationship” while taking them to Romania and later sexually exploiting them with physical violence and coercion.
Authorities also alleged that one of the suspects raped a victim on two separate occasions in March 2022. At least six victims were allegedly “sexually exploited by an organized criminal group,” according to a statement by Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) ).
On January 25, the brothers protested their innocence after they were brought in for questioning and had their electronic devices taken for analysis.
“There is no evidence in my file because I have not done anything wrong. Everyone knows I’m innocent,” said Andrew Tate. When he was taken to DIICOT headquarters, he added: “There is no justice in Romania.”
Ioan Gliga, one of the Tate brothers’ lawyers, told reporters at the time: “We are convinced that the evidence is in favor of our clients, not against them.”
Romanian police searched 12 properties as part of their investigation, DIICOT said in mid-January. Romanian authorities also seized nearly 18 million lei ($3,942,700) worth of assets belonging to Andrew Tate, including cars, luxury watches and cash in several different currencies, according to Asset Recovery and Management Agency of the country.
Andrew Tate is known for his viral rants online about male dominance, female submission and wealth. She openly promotes violence against women, and was previously banned from every major social media platform until Elon Musk reinstated her Twitter account after taking over the company.
He gained notoriety earlier this year, with many adults including school teachers expressing alarm about his misogynistic ideas taking root in the minds of countless boys. Before it was taken down, his TikTok account got about 11.6 billion views.
