Romanian Court Grants UK’s Request To Extradite Andrew Tate Once Local Legal Processes Are Concluded.

BUCHAREST, Romania — According to his spokeswoman, a court in Romania’s capital granted British authorities’ request to extradite contentious online personality Andrew Tate on Tuesday, but only after Romanian legal proceedings against him were completed.

The Bucharest Court of Appeal rendered its decision after British police arrested Tate, 37, and his brother Tristan Tate on Monday night in response to allegations of sexual assault in a 2012–2015 U.K. case.

The appeals court, where the brothers appeared handcuffed and escorted by police on Tuesday, also ordered their immediate release, according to spokesperson Mateea Petrescu.

Tate’s lawyer, Eugen Vidineac, praised the court’s decision, saying it “provides an opportunity for the brothers to participate fully in their defense” and allows the judicial process to proceed “transparently.”

Romanian Court Grants UK’s Request To Extradite Andrew Tate Once Local Legal Processes Are Concluded.

Four women reported Andrew to U.K. authorities for alleged sexual violence and physical abuse, but the Crown Prosecution Service declined to charge him. The alleged victims then turned to crowdfunding to finance their legal expenses while pursuing a civil lawsuit against him.

“We turned over our evidence of the horrifying acts of violence we witnessed and waited for action. But four years later, we were advised that the U.K. authorities would not pursue him,” they write on their campaign website. “It’s our one remaining route to hold him accountable.”

It was not immediately clear what Tristan was accused of in the United Kingdom.

Before the court’s verdict on Tuesday, Petrescu stated that the brothers, dual nationals of the United Kingdom and the United States, deny the charges and “express profound disappointment that such serious allegations are being resurrected without substantial new evidence.”

Andrew is facing charges in a separate Romanian case for rape, human trafficking, and creating a criminal group to sexually exploit women. He and his brother and two Romanian ladies were caught near Bucharest in December 2022. Romanian prosecutors formally accused all four in June, although they have disputed the claims.

McCue Jury & Partners, the legal firm representing the four British women accusing Andrew of rape and serious physical and sexual assaults, said in a statement Tuesday that they had urged British police to “immediately seek a warrant” for Tate’s detention and extradition after learning last week that he was planning to flee Romania.

“Today’s news is very welcome as it had been a significant concern for many that Andrew would seek to avoid justice in Romania and abroad,” said Matthew Jury, a managing partner at the law company. “We thank the British authorities for taking our concerns seriously and obtaining an arrest warrant. Andrew is accused of major criminal charges against numerous victims, and he must be held accountable.”

Romanian Court Grants UK’s Request To Extradite Andrew Tate Once Local Legal Processes Are Concluded.

The jury determined that regardless of the outcome of the Romanian trial, Tate would face prosecution in England.

He went on to say that after Tate’s arrest in Romania, he has “spread a vast amount of disinformation about the criminal charges he faces in the U.K.” in high-profile appearances with renowned media characters like Tucker Carlson and Piers Morgan.

Vidineac stated following the court’s judgment on Tuesday that the Tate brothers “unequivocally deny” allegations that they intended to flee judicial proceedings in Romania. “We believe this rumour has originated from a popular online influencer who misconstrued a text message from our clients while streaming live,” the spokesperson stated. “There is simply no truth to it.”

Tate, who has 8.9 million followers on X (previously Twitter), has frequently stated that Romanian prosecutors have no evidence against him and that there is a political attempt to suppress him. He had already been removed from several popular social media networks for expressing misogynistic and hateful sentiments.

Tate said on his X account on Tuesday, “The Matrix is afraid, but I only fear God.” He refers to the “Matrix” as a vast conspiracy aimed at men.

After being arrested in Romania, the brothers were detained by authorities for three months before being placed under house arrest. They were then restricted to the Bucharest Municipality and neighbouring Ilfov County. Currently, they are unable to leave Romania. The legal case in Romania is still being addressed in the preliminary chamber stages, which allow defendants to question prosecutors’ evidence. No trial date has been scheduled.

Romanian Court Grants UK’s Request To Extradite Andrew Tate Once Local Legal Processes Are Concluded.

Last October, lawyers for the alleged assault victims held a press conference in Bucharest, accusing Andrew and his followers of attempting to frighten their clients into silence.

Tate won an appeal in January against Romanian authorities’ confiscation of his assets, which were confiscated just weeks after he was arrested.

Romanian authorities had confiscated 15 luxury cars, 14 designer watches, and cash in various currencies, totalling approximately 3.6 million euros ($3.9 million).

SOURCE – (AP)