Andrew Tate in court to appeal against 30-day detention in Romania

Divisive internet personality suspected of involvement in human trafficking

Andrew Tate, centre, and his brother Tristan, right, arrive at the Court of Appeal in Bucharest on Tuesday. AP

Social media influencer Andrew Tate appeared in court in Romania on Tuesday to appeal against his 30-day detention on suspicion of running a human trafficking ring.

Mr Tate, his brother Tristan and two female suspects arrived at court in handcuffs following their arrests on December 29.

Their initial 24-hour detention was extended to 30 days at the request of prosecutors.

A judge ruled that "the possibility of them evading investigations cannot be ignored", saying they could leave Romania for a country with no extradition prospects.

All four suspects are challenging that decision and Bucharest's Court of Appeal was expected to rule on the matter on Tuesday.

If the court finds in their favour, the four could be put under house arrest or similar conditions, such as being banned from leaving Romania.

If not, prosecutors could request detention for a maximum of 180 days.

Andrew Tate, who lives in Romania, is a former kickboxer and online personality who is banned from several social media sites for his misogynistic views.

An anti-organised crime unit in Romania accused him of involvement in a trafficking ring that allegedly coerced women into making adult videos.

It is feared that at least six women were exploited by the alleged traffickers, who are suspected of luring victims into bogus relationships.

Prosecutors have seized 15 luxury cars during their inquiries, several of them owned by the Tate brothers, and a number of properties owned by companies registered to them.

The properties could be confiscated by the state if they are found to have made money through human trafficking.

Since his arrest, a series of posts of uncertain origin have appeared on his Twitter account, which was reinstated after Elon Musk took over the site.

One recent post read: “Going to jail when guilty of a crime is the life story of a criminal … going to jail when completely innocent is the story of a hero.”