On Thursday, the Court of Appeals in Bucharest, Romania, ruled that influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, accused of human trafficking, would not go to trial for their criminal case.

The two brothers were arrested in December 2022, along with two women, Georgiana-Manuela Naghel and Alexandra-Luana Radu, on accusations of forming a criminal gang to exploit women. The illegal ring saw them coerce and violently threaten women to participate in adult activity for profit.

This is the second time that the case has been returned to prosecutors. The same court found “irregularities” in the indictment against the brothers in November, requiring prosecutors to amend their brief. The court also had several pieces of evidence removed, declaring victims’ statements as inadmissible.

Last week, Andrew was seen smiling outside of court.

All four arrested have strongly defended their innocence, Andrew most vehemently.

Andrew is a popular influencer online who promotes a flashy lifestyle complimented by sexist ideals. A self-described misogynist, Andrew has been banned from various social media sites for his chauvinistic statements.

He released a statement in response to the ruling on Thursday, saying, “They’ve had years to build their case – years to tear apart my life, target everyone I know, and even subpoena the mother of my child. And yet, they have nothing.”

“This is all a lie, and I will fight to the very end to expose it and prove my innocence,” he said.

His brother Tristan stated, “If there isn’t enough evidence to go to trial after all of these years, that means there never was enough evidence.”

Andrew and Tristan also face legal issues in their native UK, where there are charges spanning between 2012 and 2015. Four different women are suing Andrew for sexual assault and violence between 2013 and 2015.

The brothers are also accused of tax evasion in the UK, and a British court ruled on Wednesday that police could seize more than £2m ($2.5 million) from the Tate brothers for failing to pay tax on £21m ($26 million) in revenue from their online businesses.

Tate has expressed a desire to move back to the U.S. following the election of Donald Trump.

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Article by Baila Eve Zisman

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