A Romanian court ruled on Friday that Andrew Tate, a social media influencer facing charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, can leave Romania but must remain within the European Union. The decision, considered a “significant victory” by Tate’s spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, allows the 37-year-old former professional kickboxer and dual British-U.S. citizen to travel freely within the EU while he awaits trial.
Tate, who was initially arrested in December 2022 alongside his brother Tristan and two Romanian women, expressed his relief on social media platform X: “I AM FREE. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 3 YEARS I CAN LEAVE ROMANIA. THE SHAM CASE IS FALLING APART.”
His lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, welcomed the court’s decision, emphasizing the Tates’ commitment to clearing their names and reputation. “We embrace and applaud the decision of the court today, I consider it a reflection of the exemplary behavior and assistance of my clients,” Vidineac said.
While the Bucharest Tribunal ruled on April 26 that the case against Tate met the legal criteria for a trial, no date for the trial has been set. This ruling came after months of preliminary chamber discussions, during which the defendants challenged the prosecutors’ evidence and case file.
Following their arrest, the Tate brothers spent three months in police detention before being placed under house arrest. They were then restricted to Bucharest municipality and nearby Ilfov county, and subsequently confined to Romania.
Vidineac explained that the ability to travel within the EU will allow the Tates to “pursue professional opportunities without restriction.”
Andrew Tate, who has amassed a following of 9.5 million on X, has consistently maintained his innocence, claiming that prosecutors lack evidence against him and that a political conspiracy is aimed at silencing him. He has faced prior bans from various social media platforms for alleged misogynistic views and hate speech.
In a separate case, Andrew Tate was served with a civil lawsuit in Romania by four British women. The High Court in London issued the claim, which was announced in May by McCue Jury & Partners, the law firm representing the women. These women allege that Tate sexually and physically assaulted them, reporting him to British authorities in 2014 and 2015. Despite a four-year investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service decided against prosecuting him in 2019. The alleged victims subsequently launched a crowdfunding campaign to pursue a civil case against him.
In yet another case, the Tate brothers appeared in March before the Bucharest Court of Appeal after British authorities issued arrest warrants concerning allegations of sexual aggression in a UK case dating back to 2012-2015. The appeals court approved the British extradition request for the Tates, but only after legal proceedings in Romania are concluded.