Two Romanian men jailed for London knife attack on journalist ‘on behalf of Iranian state’

Two men who carried out a “targeted” knife attack on a journalist in London have been sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison; The judge concluded that the attack was carried out “on behalf of the Iranian state”.

Iranian International journalist Pouria Zeraati was left bleeding on the street after being stabbed three times outside her home in Wimbledon on March 29, 2024. Romanian nationals Nandito Badea (21) and George Stana (25) were found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, although they denied the charges.

At the Old Bailey on Friday, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb sentenced Stana to 12 years in prison, saying he “should have known” the “targeted and serious” attack was on behalf of Iran. Badea, who was involved in the conspiracy for a shorter period of time, was sentenced to 8 years in prison.

The judge said: “I am confident that this was an attack carried out for and for the benefit of a foreign power.” He emphasized that Mr. Zeraati “is a well-known critic of the regime and that he, like his family members, has been the subject of threats before.”

Prosecutors described the incident as “a planned attack, prior to discovery, ordered by a third party acting on behalf of the Iranian state.” The court heard Badea and another man named David Andrei, who was staying in Romania, “crowded” Mr Zeraati and one of them stabbed him multiple times in the thigh. Stana was waiting in a blue Mazda 3 getaway car, which was captured on CCTV during “hostile reconnaissance” before the attack.

In his victim impact statement to police, Mr Zeraati said the incident left him “scared and anxious” and forced him to move abroad “for fear of any retaliation”. The prosecution found Badea and Mr Andrei visited the property eight times over five dates and “clearly” flew to the UK for the attack, which they believed had been planned for more than a year.

Prosecutor Rupert Kent argued: “These defendants knew, or at least reasonably should have known, that the attack on Mr Zeraati was instigated by a foreign power; we submit that it was the Iranian regime, with which the defendants had an indirect relationship through third parties.” The court was informed that Iran International “criticized the Iranian regime” and was designated a terrorist organization by the state. Mr. Zeraati, a high-profile figure at the broadcaster, had even seen a billboard in Iran’s capital bearing the message “Wanted: Dead or Alive.”

Jurors were told the attackers laughed as they fled the scene, heading towards Heathrow and flying to Geneva, Switzerland. Peter Caldwell KC, representing Stana, argued that his client was “functionally illiterate” and “not aware of current events” and therefore “could not have known” he was operating on behalf of Iran.

“Mr. Stana was useful to others in terms of his intended behavior, but he himself did not know for what purpose he was being used,” Mr. Caldwell said. David Spens KC, for Badea, argued that the court “could not be sure” that his client was the one who stabbed Mr Zeraati.

Judge Cheema-Grubb concluded: “Repressive regimes tend to do whatever they can to suppress dissent; they cannot withstand the serious scrutiny provided by fearless journalists.” Counter Terrorism Police have announced that they have foiled 20 Iran-linked plots in the UK since 2022.

A spokesman for Iran International said: “The attack on Pouria was appalling, appalling for him and his wife, and shocking for his colleagues at Iran International.

“We are grateful and grateful to the police and the UK government for their work and expertise in bringing these men to justice.

“It would be nice to think that these penalties will act as a deterrent against further attacks.

“Our journalists are subject to an ongoing campaign of intimidation by the Islamic Republic of Iran, both in Iran where their relatives are routinely threatened and treated harshly, and against them on British soil.”

He added: “We are extremely grateful for the protection provided to us by the police and UK authorities.”