Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Rightwing influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have left Romania on a private jet bound for the US, after prosecutors lifted restrictions banning them from leaving the country where they were being held on multiple charges including sexual exploitation.
The brothers, who are dual US and UK nationals, have been detained in Romania since 2022 on charges of human trafficking, sexual misconduct and money laundering, as well as operating an organised crime group. They have denied wrongdoing.
Romanian authorities said on Thursday that they had “modified” the ban on the defendants leaving Romanian territory, although prosecutors also said criminal prosecution against the pair continued.
People familiar with the case said they had flown out of the country aboard a private jet bound for Florida in the US.
The decision by Romanian authorities to lift travel restrictions on the self-described misogynist influencers came after US pressure, as first reported by the Financial Times. Washington has pushed Romanian authorities to lift restrictions on the brothers, including interventions from high-ranking officials.
Andrew Tate has built a following of several millions on online platforms targeted at young men that promote masculinity and reject feminism.
His case has been championed by rightwing social media, with figures such as former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson conducting sympathetic interviews with the brothers.
A Bucharest-based lawyer for the Tate brothers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is a developing story