A judge in Romania has upheld the 30-day detention of misogynist influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate, who are being investigated for human trafficking, rape, and organized crime.
The Tate brothers and two women were arrested on Dec. 29 and have been in pretrial detention for the last 12 days, after a judge extended their arrest period from 24 hours to 30 days.
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On Tuesday, the brothers appeared in court in Bucharest to appeal against their pretrial detention. The court heard arguments from Tate’s lawyers for their release, which included that the Tate brothers have small children in Romania, according to local news outlet Gandul.
According to the Associated Press, the judge stated that the brothers are at risk of evading investigations and that they could “leave Romania and settle in countries that do not allow extradition.”
Tate and his brother have denied the accusations against them.
The brothers arrived at Bucharest’s Court of Appeal handcuffed to each other, and Andrew, 36, was carrying the Qur’an in his right hand.
Muslims on Twitter noticed this, and it has since gone viral. While some praised him, others questioned his intentions.
Last week, the Guardian reported that four more cars belonging to the Tate brothers had been confiscated by DIICOT, Romania’s organized crime agency, bringing the total amount of confiscated cars to 15.
Over the weekend, Andrew was reportedly taken to the hospital after his lawyer made it known to officials that he has a medical condition.