Key facts
- Two Romanian nationals, Nandito Badea and George Stana, were jailed for stabbing Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati in London.
- Prosecutors alleged the men acted as proxies for the Iranian government.
- Zeraati, a journalist for Iran International, was stabbed in March 2024.
- Stana was sentenced to 12 years and Badea to 8 years for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
- The judge concluded the attack was carried out for or on behalf of a foreign power.
Two Romanian nationals, 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 the men acted as proxies for the Iranian government. Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb stated that the evidence overwhelmingly pointed to the attack being carried out on behalf of the Iranian state. Nandito Badea received an eight-year sentence, while George Stana was sentenced to 12 years for wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
UK security officials claim Iran is behind a growing number of plots on British soil targeting opposition media outlets. Iran International has previously received threats due to its critical coverage of Iran’s government. Zeraati, a high-profile presenter, needed emergency treatment after being stabbed several times in the leg but returned to work the following month. He told police the attack left him "scared and anxious" and he had to relocate abroad fearing further reprisals.
During the trial, prosecutors said Badea and another man had observed Zeraati's property on eight occasions across five dates and had flown into the country "expressly" for the attack. The duo were arrested in Romania in December 2024 and extradited to Britain, but a third man accused of taking part in the attack remains in Romania facing separate charges.