Inside the ‘cockroach-ridden hellhole’ prison Andrew Tate is emailing his fans for sympathy from

So, what are Romanian prisons actually like?

It shouldn’t have really been a shock to Tate that Romanian prison is a downgrade from the allegedly boujee mansions he’s used to. An investigation carried out by the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in 2021 found that Romanian prisons are generally “infested with bed bugs and cockroaches”.

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“Material conditions in all the prisons visited were generally poor,” the report read. “With cells dilapidated, lacking equipment (storage space, tables and chairs), and mattresses and bedding worn out and infested with bed bugs and cockroaches. Many complaints were received about the very limited access to hot water as well as in respect of the insufficient in-cell heating in winter.”

Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan arrive in handcuffs at Bucharest Court of Appeal (Credit: Shutterstock) 

And which prison is Andrew Tate being held in?

According to info shared on Romanian social media, Tate is being kept at the Aiud Prison in Alba County, central Transylvania because it’s the only prison actually owned by the Government of Romania.

Aiud became known for its treatment of political prisoners during World War II and was dubbed the “largest and harshest prison in Romania” and still houses maximum security prisoners today.

The prison was the subject of a project by the photographer Cosnim Bumbut in 2015 who discovered there’s an “Intimate Room” where prisoners can have sex with each other or during visiting hours.

“I was alone in there, and there were noises coming from the hallway, but I didn’t feel much; I didn’t ask myself how many people had used the bed,” he told Vice. “It’s strange having an intimate room in such a non-intimate space.

“In Romania, there are two types of visits: There’s the one that lasts two hours and is allowed every three months and needs to involve your spouse or proven partner. Then if you get married whilst in jail, you’ve got the right to use the room for 48 hours as a type of honeymoon. After that, you’re entitled to your two hours every month for a year.”

So, what’s Andrew Tate’s prison sentence?

Although there was some speculation online that Andrew Tate has been released from prison, he actually lost his appeal to leave jail and will be there until at least February. Tate, alongside his brother and two other suspect, has been under investigation since April for running “an organised crime group” – allegations he and his brother have denied.

In Romania, you can only be kept in detention for 30 days, unless this is extended by a judge, at the request of the prosecutor, for another 30 days. In total, you’re not allowed to be in detention for longer than 180 days before investigations are closed, according to Fair Trials.