A Romanian court has approved a request from the UK to extradite internet personality Andrew Tate, but postponed doing so until legal proceedings in a separate case in Romania end.
The court also ruled that Mr Tate and his brother Tristan should be released from police custody immediately.
They had been arrested last night for 24 hours pending a ruling on the arrest warrant, issued by a court in London.
Romania's court of appeals said in a statement that it "rules to execute the arrest warrant and ... to postpone handing over the requested person until the final verdict in the criminal case argued at the Bucharest court".
The Tates were detained on allegations of sexual aggression dating back to 2012-15, which they "categorically" deny, a spokesperson said.
"We appreciate the Bucharest Court of Appeal's decision to postpone the extradition of Andrew and Tristan Tate," Eugen Vidineac, legal counsel for the defendants, said in a statement.
"This ruling provides an opportunity for the brothers to participate fully in their defence and for the legal process to proceed in a transparent manner."
Mr Tate, who gained millions of fans by promoting an ultra-masculine lifestyle, was indicted in June in Romania along with his brother and two Romanian women for human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. They have denied the charges.
The case is with the Bucharest court's preliminary chamber, which needs to decide whether the trial can start. A decision has yet to be made, with Romanian courts backlogged.
The Tate brothers were held in police custody pending the criminal investigation from late December 2022 until April, to prevent them from fleeing the country or tampering with evidence. They were placed under house arrest until August.
They have since been under judicial control, a lighter preventative measure meaning they have regular check-ins with police and can move around freely, but cannot leave the country.
