Andrew Tate loses appeal against latest detention

Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested in December on suspicion of human trafficking

A Romanian court has rejected an appeal by Andrew Tate against his continued detention, ruling that he should remain in custody until 29 March.

The controversial influencer's brother Tristan will also remain in detention.

They are accused of human trafficking, rape and forming an organised crime group, and are being held in pre-charge detention. Both have denied wrongdoing.

Reports in Romania, apparently based on Mr Tate's phone-tapped conversations, had claimed he was a flight risk.

But the court ruled that the brothers should remain in detention on grounds of protecting public order, and removed three other grounds for holding him - including his potential flight risk, or his influence over alleged victims.

Two Romanian women, Georgiana Naghel and Luana Radu - who are associates of the Tates and were allowed to leave custody for house arrest last week - were ordered back into detention.

Before the latest ruling, Mr Tate's lawyer said that his client would not try to evade the Romanian legal system by fleeing abroad.

Mr Tate planned to travel to Dubai if released, but only for medical examinations, his lawyer told the BBC.

Reports in Romania, which outline phone calls allegedly made by the brothers from custody, were thought to have been part of the case made by prosecutors for extending their detention.

Their detention had previously been upheld until 27 February, before being extended for another 30 days. The court upheld that decision on Monday.

One of the Tates' lawyers, Eugen Vidineac, told the BBC that, while the brothers' phone calls in custody were being tapped, nothing they had discussed was illegal.

"There is no flight risk," he said.

"It was a discussion between Andrew and his secretary, saying that - if he was freed by the judges under these conditions - he will go to Dubai [for medical examinations]", he added.

It was not an attempt to escape Romanian justice, he said.

In 2016, Mr Tate, a former kickboxer, was removed from British TV show Big Brother over a video which appeared to show him attacking a woman.

He went on to gain notoriety online, with Twitter banning him for saying women should "bear responsibility" for being sexually assaulted. He has since been reinstated.

Despite social media bans he gained popularity, particularly among young men, by promoting what he presented as a hyper-masculine, ultra-luxurious lifestyle.