A court in Romania has ruled that the case against controversial influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate over allegations including human trafficking cannot go to trial in its current form.
On Thursday, the Bucharest Court of Appeal upheld the brothers' appeal and returned the case to the prosecution for further review.
This is the second time the court has returned the case to prosecutors, who now have five days to amend the indictment or drop the charges.
The Tate brothers, aged 37 and 36, are accused of human trafficking and forming an organized group to sexually exploit women. They have strongly denied these accusations.
In November, the same court found “irregularities” in the indictment against them, forcing the Public Prosecution to amend its memorandum.
At that time, the court also removed several pieces of evidence, deeming some of the alleged victims' statements inadmissible.
The brothers' successful appeal Thursday represents another setback for prosecutors.
The British and American citizens are accused of exploiting women through businesses containing adult content, which prosecutors say operates as a criminal enterprise.
Two Romanian accomplices were also named in the indictment published in June last year, which named seven alleged victims.
Andrew Tate is a self-described misogynist who has previously been banned from social media platforms for expressing such views.
The former kickboxer has gained millions of followers on social media due to his politics, where in videos he often displays a flamboyant lifestyle.
He has been living in Romania for several years after previously being based in the UK.
After the ruling in his favor on Thursday, he issued a statement saying: “They have spent years building their case – years to tear apart my life, target everyone I know, and even subpoena the mother of my child. And yet, they have none of it.”
He added: “This is all a lie, and I will fight until the end to expose it and prove my innocence.”
His brother Tristan said: “If there is not enough evidence to go to trial after all these years, then there was not enough evidence at all.”
The Romanian Public Prosecutor's Office, known as DIICOT, has not yet commented on the ruling.
In August, it said it had launched a second criminal investigation against the Tate brothers over new allegations of trafficking of minors, sexual contact with a minor, and money laundering.
UK police are also seeking the extradition of the Tate brothers in connection with rape and human trafficking allegations. They were also accused of tax evasion.
The Tate brothers have denied these allegations.
