Two Romanian men have been charged in their home country following the stabbing of Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati outside his Wimbledon residence earlier this year.
Zeraati, 37, a presenter for the London-based broadcaster Iran International, was attacked on 29 March.
He sustained a knife wound to his leg and later revealed in an interview with Sky News’ The World with Yalda Hakim that he “lost a lot of blood” during the incident.
Nandito Badea, 19, and George Stana, 23, were detained in Romania on Wednesday, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Both face charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, as well as wounding.
The CPS confirmed that the pair had appeared before a Romanian court to begin extradition proceedings.
A CPS spokesperson said: “After reviewing evidence provided by the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command, we have authorised charges against two Romanian nationals.
The charges pertain to an attack on a journalist in Wimbledon on the afternoon of Friday, 29 March 2024.”
They added: “We are working closely with Romanian authorities to ensure the extradition process moves forward through the courts.
The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all parties that criminal proceedings against the defendants are active and that they are entitled to a fair trial.”
The case has drawn significant attention due to its links to Iran International, a broadcaster often critical of the Iranian government. Authorities continue to investigate whether the attack was politically motivated.
