Two Romanian men have been sentenced to a combined 20 years in prison for a knife attack on an Iranian journalist in London, which a judge concluded was orchestrated on behalf of the Iranian state. Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, were convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm after stabbing Pouria Zeraati, a presenter for the Persian-language channel Iran International, outside his home in Wimbledon on March 29, 2024.
The attack was described as a targeted and planned assault, with evidence suggesting the men were acting as proxies for the Iranian regime. David Andrei, 22, a third suspect who remains in Romania, was also involved in the attack. Badea and Andrei pinned Zeraati down while Stana waited in a getaway car.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb sentenced Stana to 12 years and Badea to 8 years, stating that the evidence overwhelmingly pointed to the attack being carried out for a foreign power. She noted that Zeraati, a well-known critic of the Iranian regime, had previously been subjected to threats, including posters in Tehran labeling him 'Wanted. Dead or alive.'
The court heard that the attackers had conducted surveillance on Zeraati’s home before the attack. After the stabbing, they abandoned the car, dumped their clothing, and fled to Heathrow Airport via a taxi app.
The case highlights concerns over Iran’s alleged use of criminal proxies to target opposition figures and media outlets in the UK. Security officials have claimed that Iran is behind a growing number of such plots on British soil.
Zeraati, who required hospital treatment for three stab wounds, described the incident as a deliberate attempt to silence him. The attack has raised further questions about the safety of journalists and critics of the Iranian government operating in the UK.