04 August 2023 , 09:41
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Andrew Tate has been released from house arrest as he celebrated being free for the first time in over six months.
Controversial Tate, 36, was arrested in December of last year and placed behind bars, before being let out on house arrest at the end of March where they have stayed since. However, a Romanian court has allowed both Andrew and his brother Tristan, 34, to leave their plush Bucharest mansion for the first time freely since the start of the year.
The American-born British brothers were arrested facing charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. The Romanian Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) have reportedly identified seven alleged victims, while the brothers deny all allegations.
The Bucharest Court of Appeals said in a written ruling that it "replaces the house arrest measure with that of judicial control for a period of 60 days from August 4 until October 2." The terms of Tate's release prohibit him from leaving Romania but allow him to leave his own home to travel within Bucharest and Ilfov.
Andrew Tate hasn't left his house or a jail cell freely since last year (Alexandru Dobre/AP/REX/Shutterstock)A statement from Tate's spokesperson read: "The authorities are yet to decide on the frequency of the control checks with the Romanian police. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Romanian judicial system for their fair consideration. This positive outcome gives us confidence that more favourable developments are on the horizon and the truth is beginning to prevail. We also want to thank all the supporters who have shown great resilience and patience during this time.”
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During their time behind bars the Tate brothers stayed active on social media, and have since been doing the rounds on podcasts being interviewed about their experiences. They have invited the BBC, Valuetainment and more to their home to discuss the last six months, and have continued to post to their millions of followers on Twitter and Rumble.
Yesterday, Andrew took to Twitter to provide an update, telling his 7million+ followers: "I still have not left my house. I have been forced to remain in the house (or a jail cell) since December 29 of last year. Think of all the places you have been since Christmas. I've been nowhere. Today I go to court to see if that changes."
The elder Tate claims to have a kickboxing record of 43-9 and the British-American has also competed in MMA where he has a win over UFC veteran Luke Barnatt. He was a four-time world champion under the ISKA banner, and was eyeing up a return to the ring against one of Jake or Logan Paul last year before he was placed under arrest.
The Tate brothers boast of living a luxury lifestyleMeanwhile, his younger brother was a less established star in the ring but did achieve European honours before sustaining an injury in a car crash that cost him his career. He has since had surgery to repair his injuries, but appears to still never be able to fight again in any discipline.
Two other suspects have also been ordered to face trial alongside the Tate brothers on charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. A June 20 indictment alleges the four defendants formed an organised crime group in 2021 in order to commit human trafficking in Romania.
"We have an open criminal investigation, I am absolutely and utterly sure I’ll be found innocent," Tate told the BBC earlier this year. "I know the case better than you, I know it intimately and you don’t, I have seen all the criminal files and the evidence against me and you haven’t.
"I know the truth of what happened and you don’t. And I’m telling you absolutely and utterly, I’ve never hurt anybody, that the case that’s been put against me is completely and utterly fabricated and I’m never going to be found guilty of anything."