Influencer Andrew Tate Allowed To Leave Romania While Awaiting Trial On Charges Of Trafficking Women

A court in Romania’s capital, Bucharest, has ruled that controversial social media personality Andrew Tate can leave the country but must remain within the European Union as he awaits trial on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal organization to sexually exploit women.

The Bucharest Tribunal’s decision, hailed by Tate’s spokesperson Mateea Petrescu as a “significant victory and a major step forward” in the case, allows the former professional kickboxer and dual British-American citizen to pursue professional opportunities across the 27-nation EU bloc without restriction.

Tate, along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian women, was initially arrested near Bucharest in December 2022. Romanian prosecutors formally indicted all four individuals in June 2022, allegations they denied.

The court’s ruling comes after a protracted legal battle. The Bucharest Tribunal previously determined in April 2023 that the prosecutors’ case against Tate met the legal criteria for a trial to commence, though no date was set.

Tate was held in police detention for three months after his arrest before he was placed under house arrest. He was subsequently restricted to the Bucharest municipality, surrounding Ilfov county, and then to Romania.

Tate’s lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, praised the court’s decision and stated that it “reflects the exemplary behavior and assistance of my clients” and that the Tates remain “determined to clear their name and reputation.”

The influential social media personality, who boasts over 9.5 million followers on the platform X, has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors lack evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him. Tate was previously banned from various social media platforms for misogynistic views and hate speech.

In a separate civil case, Tate was recently served at his Romanian residence with a lawsuit lodged by four British women, who allege that he sexually and physically assaulted them. This case stems from claims made to British authorities between 2014 and 2015, which led to a four-year investigation and a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service in 2019 not to pursue criminal charges.

The Tate brothers also appeared before the Bucharest Court of Appeal in March 2023, after British authorities issued arrest warrants over allegations of sexual aggression in a U.K. case dating back to 2012-2015. The appeals court granted the British request to extradite the Tates only after legal proceedings in Romania had concluded.