Romanian man sent to trial after assaulting Asian delivery worker in Bucharest

The young man who attacked a food delivery worker from Bangladesh in Bucharest at the end of August, calling him an “invader,” has been formally indicted, prosecutors from the District 2 Court Prosecutor’s Office announced, as reported by Agerpres. He remains under house arrest while awaiting trial.

The suspect, identified as Cosmin Tudoran, has been charged with assault and other acts of violence motivated by racial and xenophobic hatred, as well as the public use of fascist, racist, or xenophobic symbols.

The assault took place on August 26 in Bucharest’s District 2. Investigators say the young man physically attacked the Bangladeshi delivery worker on the street, punching him in the face “out of racial and xenophobic motives and with the intent to make him leave the country.” The victim required one to two days of medical care for minor injuries.

The assault was filmed by the attacker himself, but gained widespread attention only after former police officer Marian Godină posted the video online. The images sparked outrage across Romania and drew swift condemnation from both authorities and the public.

The confrontation ended when an off-duty police officer, Andrei Jianu, intervened. Having just finished his shift, Jianu ran after the suspect and, with the help of colleagues, managed to restrain him.

Prosecutors also allege that Tudoran had previously shared extremist imagery online. On June 14, he allegedly posted a video collage on a social media account that included the symbol of Romania’s interwar fascist Legionary Movement, as well as an image depicting Adolf Hitler standing in front of Nazi flags. The video was publicly accessible and unrestricted to viewers.

(Photo source: Tanasin Srijaroensirikul/Dreamstime.com)