A human trafficking case brought against controversial hitmen Andy and Tristan Tate cannot proceed to trial as it stands, a Romanian court has ruled.

On Thursday, the Court of Appeals in Bucharest upheld a challenge from the brothers, sending the case back to prosecutors for further investigation.

This is the second time the court has returned the case to prosecutors, who now have five days to change the charge or drop the charges.

The Tate brothers, aged 38 and 36, are accused of human trafficking and of having created an organized group to exploit women sexually. They have strongly denied the allegations.

In November, the same court found "irregularities" in the charge against them, asking prosecutors to change the summary.

At the time, the court also removed several pieces of evidence, deeming some of the statements from alleged victims inadmissible.

The brothers' successful plea on Thursday marks another hurdle for prosecutors.

They have accused the dual UK-US nationals of exploiting women through an adult content business which they say operated as a criminal enterprise.

Two Romanian female accomplices were also named in the indictment published last June, which identified seven alleged victims.

Andrew Tate is a self-described misogynist and has previously been banned from social media platforms for expressing such views.

The former kickboxer has gained millions of followers online, where he has often mixed political messages with displaying a flashy lifestyle.

He has lived in Romania for several years after previously being based in the UK.

After the verdict in his favor on Thursday, he released a statement saying: "They have had years to build their case - years to tear my life apart, target every someone I know, and even the mother of my child to encourage. And yet, they have nothing."

He said: "This is a lie, and I will fight to the end to expose it and prove my innocence."

His brother Tristan said: "If there isn't enough evidence to go to trial after all these years, that means there never was enough evidence."

Romania's public prosecutor's office, known as DIICOT, has yet to comment on the decision.

In August, they said they had opened a second criminal investigation against the Tate brothers over new allegations of child trafficking, sexual relations with a minor and money laundering.

The same month, Andrew Tate was placed under house arrest by a Romanian judge, and his brother was placed under special legal supervision.

British police are also seeking the extradition of the Tate brothers in connection with allegations of rape and human trafficking. The Tate brothers deny these allegations.

They are also accused of evading taxes in the UK. On Wednesday, a British court ruled that police could seize more than £2m from the Tate brothers for failing to pay tax on £21m in income from their online businesses.