Warning: Contains brief reference to sexual assault
A Romanian court has denied Tristan Tate's request for bail after he was arrested and detained alongside his brother, Andrew Tate.
The two men have been held in detention in Romania since their arrest on 29 December, when they were initially expected to be held for just one month.
Prosecutors in the country have since successfully applied for multiple extensions to hold the Tate brothers while they investigate them for suspected human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
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On Wednesday (15 March), Tristan sought to be released from jail with his own bail request after Andrew faced the court the previous day.
Like his brother, Tristan was denied bail, with a spokesperson telling CBS News: "The court has decided to reject Tristan Tate's request for bail. Both brothers are disappointed in this outcome, especially Tristan, who is very eager to meet his newborn daughter.
"However, he will continue to stay with his brother whilst they support each other through this frustrating time."
Tristan's counsel has up to 48 hours to appeal the court's decision, which the spokesperson said they have planned to do.
Both Andrew and Tristan have denied the accusations against them, with lawyer Eugen Vidineac previously claiming there is 'no evidence' to support the claims.
However, Romania's anti-organised crime agency DIICOT said after the arrests that it had identified six victims who were allegedly subjected to 'acts of physical violence and mental coercion' and sexually exploited.
Two women, Georgiana Naghel and a former police officer, Alexandra Luana Radu, were also arrested in December on suspicion of having acted as accomplices to the Tate brothers.
Tristan, who is two years younger than Andrew at 34 years old, is a former kickboxer who went on to become a social media influencer like his brother. The pair both live in Romania, but have dual English and American nationality.
Tristan has previously described the country as one that is 'very hostile', adding: “It’s not a touristy place, but if you build a life for yourself here, you’re free to live your f***ing life.”
He has also insisted in the past that 'there’s nothing' he and his brother disagree on.
The decision in Tristan's case comes after the court described Andrew's request for bail as 'inadmissible in principle'.
In January, a court document argued that 'the possibility of [the brothers] evading investigations cannot be ignored', and stressed that they might 'leave Romania and settle in countries that do not allow extradition'.
Andrew's defence team said on Tuesday they were 'disappointed' with the rejection of their request and expressed plans to appeal the ruling.
The latest extension on the detention runs to 29 March, though prosecutors can ask Romanian courts to extend for up to 180 days.
Topics: Andrew Tate, Crime, News
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Emily Brown