An ex-professional Romanian footballer, 21-year-old Nandito Badea, is accused in connection with the March 2024 stabbing of Iran International journalist Pouria Zeraati. According to multiple reports, Badea claims that an accomplice, David Andrei, carried out the knife attack. The allegations link the incident to work carried out on behalf of Iran, though the reporting centers on Badea’s version of events rather than an external determination of responsibility.
Badea’s statement shifts the account of who directly attacked the journalist, while the prosecution case, as described in the coverage, maintains that multiple individuals were involved. Zeraati’s stabbing is framed as a targeted assault connected to his journalistic activities for Iran International. The reports indicate that Badea is facing charges related to the attack, and that his defense strategy attributes the physical stabbing to Andrei.
The case is ongoing, and the outcome depends on evidence presented in court, including witness testimony and forensic or investigative findings referenced by the parties.
