Key Points
- Andrew Tate, his brother, and two female suspects were detained in Romania last year on human trafficking allegations.
- On Tuesday, they lost an appeal to end their 30-day detention early.
- Tate is a self-professed misogynist who has said women belong to men and are partially responsible for being raped.
This article contains references to rape and sexual abuse.
Divisive internet personality Andrew Tate will remain in police custody for the full 30 days he was remanded to alongside his brother and two other suspects pending a criminal investigation for human trafficking, a Romanian court ruled late on Tuesday.
Mr Tate, his brother Tristan, and two Romanian female suspects on 29 December last year on charges of forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit six women.
The 36-year-old's arrest came shortly after during which he taunted the environmental activist about his "enormous emissions".
The four suspects have denied wrongdoing through an attorney and challenged the arrest warrant. On Tuesday, the Bucharest court of appeals said it rejected the challenge.
Prosecutors have said the Tate brothers recruited their victims by seducing them and falsely claiming to want a relationship.
The victims were then taken to properties on the outskirts of capital Bucharest and through physical violence and mental intimidation were sexually exploited by being forced to produce pornographic content for social media sites which generated large financial gains, according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors also said one of the brothers raped one of the victims in March of last year, which is when the investigation started.
"The possibility that the suspects would evade investigation, leave Romania and settle in countries that do not allow extradition given their financial possibilities and public comments to that regard cannot be ignored," the court judge said in the written record approving the arrest.
Prosecutors have seized 15 luxury vehicles and over 10 properties and homes belonging to the suspects in Bucharest and Prahova and Brasov counties, Ramona Bolla, a spokesperson for Romanian anti-organised crime unit DIICOT, told Reuters.
The seizure was meant to prevent the assets being sold or concealed.
Mr Tate gained mainstream notoriety for misogynistic remarks and hate speech, , although since Elon Musk took over Twitter his account was reinstated in November.
The former professional kickboxer, who holds US and British nationality, has said women are partially responsible for being raped and that they belong to men. He is a self-professed misogynist.
On a podcast last year, he said he started making money by convincing multiple girlfriends to videochat and share the profits back when he lived in London.
"How can I use these women to make me money?" Tate said, adding his business started with two girlfriends and peaked with 75 women working for him and earning $600,000 a month.
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