The Bucharest Court of Appeal has granted a request by British authorities to extradite Andrew Tate, a controversial online influencer, but only after the completion of legal proceedings against him in Romania. Tate, along with his brother Tristan Tate, was detained on Monday evening based on arrest warrants issued by British authorities over allegations of sexual aggression in a U.K. case dating back to 2012-2015. The court's decision, which came after the Tate brothers appeared in handcuffs on Tuesday escorted by police, also ordered their immediate release, according to spokesperson Mateea Petrescu.
Andrew Tate, a dual U.K. and U.S. citizen, rejects the charges and expresses disappointment that such serious allegations are being resurrected without substantial new evidence, according to his lawyer Eugen Vidineac. Tate is also facing separate charges in Romania, including rape, human trafficking, and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. He was arrested near Bucharest in December 2022 along with his brother and two Romanian women. The legal case in Romania is still in the preliminary chamber stages, during which the defendants can challenge prosecutors' evidence, and no trial date has been set yet.
Four women had reported Andrew Tate to the U.K. authorities for alleged sexual violence and physical abuse, leading to a crowdfunding campaign to cover their legal costs as they pursue a civil case against him. Despite Tate's claims of innocence and accusations of a political conspiracy against him, the legal process is ongoing. Tate, who has a large following on social media, has been banned from several platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech.
The legal firm representing the four British women who accuse Andrew Tate of rape and serious physical and sexual assaults expressed relief at the news of the court's decision. They had urged British police to "immediately seek a warrant" for Tate’s detention and extradition after receiving information that he might be planning to flee Romania. In January, Tate won an appeal challenging the seizure of his assets by Romanian authorities, which were confiscated in the weeks after he was arrested. Romanian authorities had seized 15 luxury cars, 14 designer watches, and cash in several currencies worth an estimated 3.6 million euros ($3.9 million).
Andrew Tate has maintained his innocence and claimed that prosecutors in Romania have no evidence against him, portraying the charges as part of a wider political conspiracy. Despite his legal challenges, including winning an appeal regarding the seizure of his assets, the legal process both in Romania and the U.K. continues, with Tate facing extradition to the U.K. once the Romanian proceedings are concluded.
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