Tate brothers face at least two more weeks in US jail as bail bid reviewed 

Social media influencers and brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate must spend at least two more weeks in a United States federal jail in Miami, where their lawyer says they have a “target on their backs”, as they await a decision on whether they will be granted bail while fighting extradition to the UK, where they face a combined total of 59 criminal charges including rape and sex trafficking.

On Monday, magistrate Lauren Louis set a hearing for August 13 to decide whether to release the Tates from prison, while UK authorities compile evidence and submit their extradition request.

Joseph McBride, the lawyer for the brothers, told reporters that as accused child-sex offenders they have a “target on their backs” in prison. “The public is greenlighting for them to get murdered in jail,” he said.

Despite his imprisonment, Andrew’s account on X remains active and has been posting about alleged mistreatment in jail. In a post on Sunday, Andrew said he had no access to clean drinking water, arguing that his human rights were being violated.

“I am in Special Housing Unit (SHU). My water faucet is broken,” Andrew said.

“I am not allowed bottles of water in SHU. I have nothing clean to drink. My only water comes from the shower, warm and from a brown and filthy faucet. It has given me persistent stomach problems. The water I am drinking is not clean, I am an American. Innocent until proven guilty. But I am forced to drink poisoned water. Where are my rights?”

The brothers’ current predicament is a far cry from the alpha-male lifestyle they used to flaunt on social media, where they created an image built around conspicuous wealth – dozens of flashy sports cars, ultra-expensive watches and regular travel on private jets – and self-proclaimed misogyny.

Andrew regularly said he was a proud misogynist, repeatedly asserting that women are the property of men, bear some responsibility for being sexually assaulted, and should stay at home rather than pursue independent careers.

The brothers’ legal team argues that they should be released while extradition proceedings continue, saying that they have shown they are not a flight risk because they have regularly attended court hearings in Romania. The Tates were arrested in 2022 by authorities in Romania, where they are being investigated over similar allegations, including trafficking minors and sexual exploitation. They deny all wrongdoing.

The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is responsible for pursuing legal action against alleged criminals on behalf of the government. It announced 38 new charges against the brothers earlier this month, including rape, trafficking for sexual exploitation and offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.

The Tates have seen their popularity surge in recent years. They have both become dominant figures in what is known as the “manosphere”, a global online community of men who believe that a political elite is undermining traditional masculinity.

Their ideologies have been described as misogynistic, conspiratorial and far-right. The Tates’ critics accuse them of co-opting the justified frustrations of many young men in Western countries, who have seen their living standards decline and their economic prospects diminish amid a prolonged cost-of-living crisis.

British authorities have until mid-September to submit their full request, which will then be reviewed by a US judge to determine whether the evidential threshold has been met to justify extradition. The entire process could last up to a year, during which the two brothers will remain in prison if they are not granted bail. They were both arrested by US authorities on July 18.