UK prosecutors demand for Tate brothers to be extradited from US
Andrew Tate, 39, faces UK charges including rape, trafficking for sexual exploitation, assault, child indecent-image offences and possession of extreme pornography.
British prosecutors have lodged a formal request for the extradition from the US of brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate amid rape and sex trafficking charges.
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But the lawyer for the controversial social media personalities has accused UK authorities of failing to provide the documentation needed to support the applications for their extradition.
Last week, the requests were lodged with the US State Department, which is now reviewing the extradition applications to assess whether they are compliant with the existing treaty between London and Washington.
Following this, the applications will be forwarded on to the US Justice Department. The department will subsequently forward them to the court, which will make the final decision on their extradition.
According to an official letter from the State Department, Andrew Tate is “wanted to stand trial in the United Kingdom” on a series of charges.
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The charges include 10 counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation and three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The 39-year-old is also accused of making and distributing indecent images of a child and possessing extreme pornography.
The charges levelled against his brother, 38-year-old Tristan Tate, include five counts of rape, six counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, three counts of sex trafficking and a sexual assault. Both men deny any wrongdoing.
The pair’s lawyer, Joe McBride, said he would be challenging the requests, arguing they were not backed up by the information needed under the provisions of the extradition agreement between the UK and the US.
Speaking to the Press Association on Wednesday: “They haven’t told us anything we didn’t already know. There’s no supporting facts.
“The truth is we are unsurprised. This is the level of arrogance you get from governments with unchecked power.”
The Tates discovered last week that they must stay in jail as they fight their extradition to the UK.
Judge Lauren Louis said they had “failed to meet their burden to demonstrate that they do not present a risk of flight or danger to the community, or that special circumstances warrant their release”.
It means the controversial pair will remain behind bars in Miami during what could be a lengthy legal process aimed at securing their removal to Britain.
The former professional kickboxers, who hold dual US and British citizenship, have been held in custody since their arrest in July.
They were detained after more charges were brought against them by UK prosecutors.
The Tates are deeply divisive figures who have formed a massive online following – mainly among young men and boys – and have been accused of promoting misogyny and toxic masculinity.
During a court hearing last month, the Tates maintained their innocence and argued their brash online personas were characters and not their true personalities.
They said their claims of wealth were largely exaggerated to bolster their social media presence and that luxury items such as the 50 million dollar yacht or 2.1 million dollar Aston Martin car seen in their videos did not belong to them.
Their lawyers had previously argued their clients’ “extraordinary notoriety and recognisability” would make it very difficult for them to flee if freed pending extradition proceedings.
They also said the UK’s request was out of order because of an existing criminal case in Romania, where the brothers are accused of trafficking and sex crime offences.