A case against controversial influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate on charges involving human trafficking cannot go to trial as it stands, a court in Romania has ruled.
On Thursday, the Court of Appeal in Bucharest upheld the brothers' appeal, sending the case back to prosecutors for further review.
This is the second time the court has sent the case back 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 setting up an organized group to sexually exploit women. They flatly denied the allegations.
In November, the same court found “irregularities” in the indictment against them, requiring prosecutors to change their memo.
At the time, the court also suppressed several pieces of evidence, deeming some statements by alleged victims inadmissible.
The brothers' successful appeal on Thursday marks another setback for prosecutors.
The dual UK and US citizens have been accused of exploiting women through an adult content business which prosecutors say operated as a criminal enterprise.
Two Romanian associates were also named in the indictment released last June, which identified seven alleged victims.
Andrew Tate is a self-described misogynist and was previously banned from social media platforms for expressing such views.
The former kickboxer has gained millions of followers on social media for his politics, where he also often shows off his lavish lifestyle in videos.
He has been living in Romania for several years, having previously been based in the UK.
After the ruling in his favor on Thursday, he released a statement saying: “They have had years to build their case – years to tear my life apart, attack everyone I know and even subpoena the mother of my child . And yet I have nothing on you.”
He added: “This is all a lie and I will fight to the very end to expose it and prove my innocence.”
His brother Tristan said: “If there's not enough evidence to go to court after all these years, it means there never was enough evidence.”
The Romanian prosecutor's office, known as DIICOT, has not yet commented on the decision.
In August, she announced that she had opened a second criminal investigation against the Tate brothers on new charges of trafficking minors, sexual contact with minors and money laundering.
British police are also seeking the extradition of the Tate brothers over allegations of rape and human trafficking. They are also accused of tax evasion.
The Tate brothers have denied the allegations.