- Tate brothers arrested in Miami for UK rape, trafficking.
- Lawyer vows to fight extradition, claiming brothers’ innocence.
- Lawyer claims arrests are politically motivated ‘witch hunt’.
Edited by: Rana Taha
Controversial social media influencers Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan Tate will fight extradition to the United Kingdom, where the two are accused of rape and sex trafficking, their lawyer said Monday.
The brothers were arrested by the authorities at the weekend in Miami after prosecutors in the UK announced fresh charges, including further counts of rape, sex trafficking and assault.
The Tate brothers now face 59 charges in total — 42 against Andrew and 17 against Tristan.
In the coming weeks, US authorities will consider whether they meet the conditions for extradition to the UK.
What did the Tate brothers’ lawyer say?
Speaking outside a court in Miami, their lawyer Joe McBride, said that the Tate brothers are victims of a “political witch hunt.”
McBride argued his clients were being “attacked for what they say, not what they’ve done.”
“We are, of course, objecting to extradition because Andrew and Tristan are innocent. They’ve never done nothing wrong. They shouldn’t be extradited for crimes they did not commit,” he said.
The brothers were surprised when they were arrested, McBride said, adding that the attempt to have them extradited was politically motivated. “There’s no question about it,” he told reporters.
He suggested their arrests “had a lot to do with” former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s decision to step down, without providing any details.
McBride also said it was no coincidence that the brothers were arrested after meeting “friends in Washington, DC.”
“We went to see our Congress people in DC and now we’re getting arrested. This feels political,” McBride said, without specifying who the brothers met or what they discussed.
Andrew Tate is one of the most prominent faces of the “manosphere” and his content focuses on traditional masculinity, anti-feminism, and self-improvement.
He has over 10 million followers on X but has been banned from other platforms for violating hate speech guidelines, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. His misogynistic comments have been widely condemned.
Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.
