Romania’s Justice Minister Radu Marinescu has called for a public explanation into why controversial social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate were allowed to leave the country on Thursday.
The brothers – who are currently facing charges including human trafficking in Romania – had been under a travel ban for more than two years before it was lifted, allowing them to fly to the US.
Marinescu has asked the special prosecution service, Dilcot, to “conduct any investigation necessary to uncover the truth”.
Andrew, 38, and his brother Tristan, 36, have strongly denied the allegations against them.
The brothers are dual US-UK citizens, and were first arrested in Romania in 2022.
They are accused of human trafficking and forming an organised group to sexually exploit women in Romania. Andrew Tate is also accused of rape.
In the US they also face a civil case from a woman who alleges the brothers coerced her into sex work, and then defamed her after she gave evidence to Romanian authorities.
The brothers also face separate charges in the UK of rape and human trafficking.
They spent several months under house arrest in Romania, before prosecutors announced on Thursday that the travel ban had been lifted, and the pair’s US passports had been returned to them, even though investigations into their alleged crimes had not been dropped and they were expected to return to Romania.
Their exit however, has sparked concerns that prosecutors felt political pressure from the Trump administration. On Thursday, the US president said he knew nothing about their release.
Romania’s justice minister said the Tate brothers “risk pre-trial detention” if they fail to return to Romania to face continued investigation in the cases against them.
“There are legal mechanisms in place to resolve this situation,” Marinescu said, which could be a reference to the extradition treaty between the US and Romania.
The call comes as many Romanians express concern that there appears to be one law for the rich and influential, and another for ordinary citizens.
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