Tate’s lawyer claimed his online persona would not be valid evidence in a trial.
Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate have lost an appeal against a detention order in Romania, as prosecutors are reportedly now considering increasing it from 30 days to 180.
A judge on Tuesday upheld the 30-day order for the misogynist influencer and his brother who were arrested on December 29 along with two women, on charges of organised crime, human trafficking and rape.
Ramona Bolla, a spokesperson for Romanian anti-organised crime agency DIICOT, confirmed the outcome to various media agencies.
Prosecutors can now seek to extend the detention period for the 36-year-old former kickboxer and controversial influencer to 180 days, the Independent reported.
On Monday, Tate’s lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, claimed there was “no evidence” to support the allegations against him and his brother.
The court, in Bucharest, heard arguments from Tate’s lawyer on Tuesday for their release, which included that the brothers have small children in Romania, according to local news outlet Gandul.
Vidineac told Romanian news site Gandul the defence had not been given the opportunity to study the prosecution file for the case and also claimed that Tate’s controversial online persona would not be valid evidence in a trial.
According to the Associated Press, the judge stated that the brothers are at risk of evading investigations and that they could “leave Romania and settle in countries that do not allow extradition.”
Tate and his brother have denied the accusations against them.
The brothers arrived at Bucharest’s Court of Appeal handcuffed to each other, and Andrew Tate was said to be carrying the Qur’an in his right hand.
The appeal rejection comes after Romanian authorities last week seized a fleet of luxury cars belonging to the brothers.
Authorities reported seized several cars, said to be worth over five million euros, as well as a number of buildings, including one where the pair lived and allegedly held six young women, according to a local news report.
Spy News reports a Buggati Chiron, a Rolls Royce, two Ferrari cars and a Porsche have been seized.
Tate, who has been banned from a number of social media platforms, was arrested after entering the villa he was staying in with his brother.
Tate was kicked off the 17th season of Big Brother in 2016 after footage emerged of him appearing to hit a woman with a belt. He responded to the video, claiming the incident was consensual.
His Twitter was restored alongside that of former president Donald Trump and rapper Kanye West in the wake of Elon Musk taking over the platform in October.
Tate, a former Big Brother star, says women belong in the home, can’t drive, and are a man’s property and schools young men online on toxicity as under the guise of being a self-help guru. His views have been described as extreme misogyny by domestic abuse charities, capable of radicalising men and boys to commit harm offline.
Related links:
- Rebecca Black rinses. Andrew Tate over music video
- Andrew Tate releases statement following arrest in Romania
- Andrew Tate arrested on suspicion of rape and human trafficking
