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Andrew Tate

Internet personality Tate brought to Romanian court on UK arrest warrant

Internet personality Tate brought to Romanian court on UK arrest warrant
Former professional kickboxer and social media influencer, Andrew Tate, reacts as he speaks with reporters while leaving the court building after a postponed hearing regarding the return of Tate's seized assets, held at the Bucharest Court, in Bucharest, Romania, 29 February 2024. The court will make public the decision regarding the return of the confiscated assets from the Tate brothers on 15 March 2024. Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested on 29 December 2022, as a result of the DIICOT (Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism) inquiry on charges of human trafficking and the intention to form an organized crime group. Romanian police stated that the two brothers and their associates coerced victims into creating a paid pornography service for social media platforms. On 31 March 2023, Tate brothers and their associates were moved from police custody to house arrest with immediate effect. The trial itself has not started yet, despite almost a year having passed since the beginning of the investigations in the Tate case.  EPA-EFE/Robert Ghement

BUCHAREST, March 12 (Reuters) - Internet personality Andrew Tate was arrested for 24 hours in Romania on a British warrant, his PR representative said on Tuesday, and the Bucharest Court of Appeals was set to decide on whether to extradite him.

Tate and his brother Tristan were detained late last night on allegations of sexual aggression dating back to 2012-15, which they “categorically” deny, his PR team said. The warrant was issued by Westminster Magistrates Court.

“Brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate were forcibly detained for 24 hours and handed a European arrest warrant by UK authorities. The charges, dating back to 2012-2015, include allegations of sexual aggression,” Andrew Tate’s PR representative said in a statement.

“The Bucharest Court of Appeal is slated to make a pivotal decision today on whether to execute the mandate.”

The court had yet to decide when it will convene to address the warrant. It was not immediately available for comment.

Tate, who gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle, was indicted in June in Romania along with his brother and two Romanian women for human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. They have denied the charges.

The case has since been with the Bucharest court’s preliminary chamber, which needs to decide whether the trial can start. A decision has yet to be made, with Romanian courts backlogged.

The Bucharest Court was also set to rule on Friday whether to maintain a seizure of Tate’s assets enforced by Romanian prosecutors at the start of 2023.

The Tate brothers were held in police custody pending the criminal investigation from late December 2022 until April, to prevent them from fleeing the country or tampering with evidence. They were placed under house arrest until August.

They have since been under judicial control, a lighter preventative measure meaning they have regular check-ins with the police but can move around freely except for leaving the country.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Alex Richardson and Ed Osmond)

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