A ruling in the capital of Romania stated that Andrew Tate, a social media influencer, is permitted to depart Romania but must remain within the European Union while he awaits trial for human trafficking, rape, and the formation of a criminal gang to exploit women sexually.
The decision by the Bucharest Tribunal to allow the 37-year-old Tate to leave the country was praised by his spokesperson, Mateea Petrescu, as a "significant victory and a major step forward" in the case. It remains uncertain whether prosecutors have the option or intention to challenge the court's decision.
Tate, a former professional kickboxer and dual British U.S. citizen, was arrested near Bucharest in December 2022 along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women. Romanian prosecutors formally charged all four in June of the previous year, and they have all denied the accusations.
Following the decision on Friday, Tate posted on the social media platform X: “I am free. after 3 years, I can finally leave Romania. The false case is crumbling.”
“We embrace and applaud the decision of the court today, I consider it a reflection of the exemplary behaviour and assistance of my clients,” stated Eugen Vidineac, one of Tate’s attorneys. He added that the Tates are “still committed to vindicating their name and reputation.
On April 26, the Bucharest Tribunal concluded that the prosecutors’ case file against Tate satisfied the legal requirements, and approved the commencement of a trial without setting a specific start date. This ruling followed lengthy discussions in the preliminary chamber stages, during which the defendants had the opportunity to challenge the prosecutors’ evidence and case files.
Following the arrest of the Tate brothers, they were initially held in police custody for three months before being placed under house arrest. Subsequently, their movements were restricted to the Bucharest municipality and the nearby Ilfov county, and then to the entirety of Romania.
Vidineac mentioned that being able to travel within the 27-nation EU bloc would grant the Tates the freedom to "pursue professional opportunities without constraints."
With 9.5 million followers, Andrew Tate asserts that prosecutors lack evidence against him and suggests a political plot to silence him. He had been banned from several social media platforms over alleged misogynistic remarks and hate speech.
Separately, Andrew Tate was delivered a civil lawsuit at his residence in Romania by four British women following a claim filed in the High Court of London, as per a statement from the law firm McCue Jury & Partners in May.
Tate was accused by four individuals of sexual and physical assault, and they reported him to British authorities in 2014 and 2015. In 2019, after a four-year inquiry, the Crown Prosecution Service chose not to pursue legal action against him. Following this, the alleged victims resorted to crowdfunding in order to initiate a civil case against him.
In a distinct case, the Tate brothers were also present at the Bucharest Court of Appeal in March as a result of arrest warrants issued by British authorities regarding allegations of sexual aggression in a U.K. case from 2012-2015.
The appeals court in Romania agreed to extradite the Tates to the U.K. as requested by British authorities, but this will only occur after legal proceedings in Romania have been concluded.