FILE PHOTO: Andrew Tate delivers a press statement outside his house in Voluntari, Ilfov, Romania, August 4, 2023. Inquam Photos/George Calin via REUTERS/File Photo
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - A Bucharest court on Friday rejected a request by internet personality Andrew Tate to temporarily leave Romania while awaiting trial on human trafficking charges to visit his mother in London.
Tate was indicted in June along with his brother Tristan and two Romanian female suspects for human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, allegations they have denied.
Under Romanian law, the case is now with the Bucharest court's preliminary chamber, which needs to inspect the files to ensure legality. The trial will not start until that process is completed.
"We regret to inform you that the Romanian court of appeals has denied Andrew and Tristan Tate's request to travel to the UK over the holidays, which would also include a visit to their mother, who recently suffered a heart attack," their representatives said in a statement.
The court said their request was "unfounded."
The Tate brothers, who have dual U.S. and British citizenship, were held in police custody pending a criminal investigation from late December 2022 until April, to prevent them from fleeing the country or tampering with evidence.
They were then placed under house arrest until August. Since then, they have been under judicial control, a lighter preventative measure.
Tate, a self-described misogynist, has gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle that critics say denigrates women.
(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
