Key facts
- Two Romanian men, Nandito Badea and George Stana, were jailed for stabbing Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati.
- Prosecutors alleged the men acted as proxies for the Iranian government.
- Zeraati, a journalist for Iran International, was stabbed in March 2024.
- Badea received an 8-year sentence, and Stana received a 12-year sentence.
- Both were convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Two Romanian men, Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, have been sentenced to prison for the stabbing of Pouria Zeraati, a journalist for the Persian-language television station Iran International. The attack occurred in March 2024 near Zeraati's home in southwest London.
Prosecutors presented the case that Badea and Stana were acting as proxies for the Iranian government. Both men pleaded not guilty to charges of wounding with intent but were convicted by a jury at London's Woolwich Crown Court in June. Badea received an 8-year jail sentence, while Stana was sentenced to 12 years.
The investigation, led by Counter Terrorism Policing London, identified the suspects who fled the UK shortly after the incident. Working with Romanian authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service, and the National Crime Agency, extradition warrants were secured, leading to their return to the UK. Evidence gathered included witness accounts, CCTV footage, and DNA analysis from discarded clothing, which placed the suspects in the vicinity of the attack and showed their subsequent flight from the country via Heathrow Airport.
Chief Superintendent Kris Wright stated that the attack was targeted and carried out on behalf of the Iranian regime, emphasizing that perpetrators would be pursued internationally. Iran International has reportedly faced threats from the Iranian regime, which had also designated the organization as a terrorist entity.