Romanian court rules to hold Andrew Tate for 30 more days

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A court in Romania's capital agreed Tuesday to extend social media influencer Andrew Tate's detention on suspicion of organized crime and human trafficking by another 30 days, an official said.

Tate, 36, a British-U.S. citizen known for misogynistic views who has 5.1 million Twitter followers, was arrested Dec. 29 when authorities descended on his property north of Bucharest. His brother, Tristan, and two Romanian women also are in custody in the same case. None of the four has been formally charged.

Ramona Bolla, a spokesperson for Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, told The Associated Press that the Bucharest Tribunal approved prosecutors' request to hold the Tates for another 30 days, while the two women will be put under house arrest.

It was the third 30-day extension granted since the Tates were arrested. The brothers also lost an appeal on Feb. 1 of a judge’s Jan. 20 decision to keep them behind bars while investigations continued.

A document explaining that earlier decision said the judge took into account the “particular dangerousness of the defendants” and their capacity to identify victims “with an increased vulnerability, in search of better life opportunities.”

Eugen Vidineac, one of the lawyers representing the Tate brothers, told journalists before Tuesday’s ruling that the defense team would challenge another extension, if one were issued. He insisted the defense had “effectively paralyzed the evidence" in the case so far and that there was enough to keep the Tates in custody.

Tate, who has reportedly lived in Romania since 2017, was previously banned from various social media platforms for expressing misogynistic views and hate speech. He has repeatedly claimed Romanian prosecutors have no evidence and alleged...