Romanian Pair Jailed for Iran-Linked Attack on London Journalist Zeraati

Two Romanian men have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms after a British court concluded they carried out a knife attack on an Iranian journalist living in London on behalf of the Iranian government. The ruling marks one of the strongest judicial statements yet linking a violent assault on British soil to a foreign state.

George Stana, 25, was sentenced to 12 years in prison, while 21-year-old Nandito Badea received an eight-year sentence on Friday after both were convicted of wounding with intent. The convictions relate to the March 2024 stabbing of Pouria Zeraati, a television presenter with Iran International, a Persian-language broadcaster based in west London.

The two men had denied the charges throughout the trial. However, following weeks of evidence presented before London’s Old Bailey, a jury found both guilty of deliberately carrying out the attack.

During sentencing, Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb concluded that the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrated the assault had been conducted on behalf of the Iranian government. “I am sure that this was an attack carried out for and for the benefit of a foreign power,” the judge told the court.

She noted that Zeraati was widely recognised as a vocal critic of Iran’s leadership and had previously received threats because of his work as a journalist. According to the judge, members of Zeraati’s family had also been subjected to intimidation before the attack, highlighting the sustained pressure faced by critics of the Iranian regime even while living abroad.

Judge Cheema-Grubb said Stana “ought to have known” that the carefully planned assault was being carried out on behalf of Iran and described the attack as targeted and extremely serious. She handed him a 12-year prison sentence.

Badea, who became involved in the conspiracy later and for a shorter period, received an eight-year sentence. The sentencing represents a significant moment for British authorities, who have repeatedly warned about growing threats posed by hostile foreign states operating inside the United Kingdom.

Following the ruling, UK Security Minister Angela Eagle described the attack as “abhorrent” and condemned the defendants for fleeing Britain immediately after carrying out the assault. She said both men had acted on behalf of Iran before escaping the country, adding that the sentences demonstrated Britain’s determination to prosecute individuals involved in state-directed violence.

“These sentences send a clear message: anyone acting on behalf of a foreign state to commit crimes in the UK will be identified, pursued and punished,” Eagle said.

She added that the British government continues to take threats originating from Iran extremely seriously and pledged that London would continue holding Tehran accountable for hostile activities.

The attack occurred outside Zeraati’s home in Wimbledon, southwest London, where he was stabbed multiple times in the leg by his attackers. Emergency medical teams treated the journalist before he was transported to hospital for further care.

Despite the serious injuries, Zeraati returned to presenting programmes on Iran International only weeks later, insisting publicly that “the show must go on.” His decision to resume broadcasting was widely viewed as a statement of defiance against attempts to silence journalists reporting critically on the Iranian government.

Nevertheless, the attack had profound personal consequences. In a victim impact statement presented to the court, Zeraati explained that the assault left him living in constant fear.

He said he had become anxious and frightened following the stabbing and eventually relocated abroad because he feared additional attacks.

The case exposed what prosecutors described as a carefully organised surveillance operation that preceded the assault. Evidence presented during the trial showed that Badea and another suspect conducted surveillance on Zeraati’s home on eight separate occasions over five different dates.

Prosecutors argued that the men had travelled specifically to Britain to carry out the attack, describing the operation as deliberate and meticulously planned rather than spontaneous.

Following the stabbing, both convicted men fled the United Kingdom. Authorities eventually arrested them in Romania in December 2024 after an international investigation involving British and Romanian law enforcement agencies.

The pair were subsequently extradited to Britain, where they stood trial before the Old Bailey.

Police have confirmed that a third man allegedly involved in the conspiracy remains in Romania because he is currently facing unrelated criminal proceedings there. British investigators have indicated they intend to pursue further legal action against him once those proceedings conclude.

The case has renewed attention on Iran International, the broadcaster where Zeraati works. The privately owned Persian-language television network operates from a heavily secured building in west London after repeated concerns over threats against its journalists.

Iran International has become one of the most influential Persian-language media organisations covering Iranian politics, protests, and government affairs from outside the country. Its reporting has frequently drawn criticism from Tehran.

In 2022, Iranian authorities officially designated Iran International as a “terrorist” organisation. The same designation was also applied to the BBC’s Persian-language television service, reflecting Tehran’s increasingly hostile stance toward foreign-based Persian-language broadcasters.

The British government has repeatedly expressed concern over alleged Iranian plots targeting journalists, dissidents, and political opponents living in the United Kingdom. Security agencies have said several suspected assassination or kidnapping plots linked to Iran have been disrupted in recent years.

British officials argue these incidents demonstrate an expanding pattern of hostile state activity that threatens public safety and freedom of expression. Press freedom organisations have likewise warned that journalists reporting on authoritarian governments increasingly face intimidation extending beyond national borders.

The sentencing of Stana and Badea is therefore being viewed as more than a criminal conviction. Legal experts say it sends a broader message that foreign governments cannot operate with impunity inside Britain by using criminal intermediaries to intimidate critics.

For Zeraati, the judgment provides a measure of justice after a traumatic attack that forced him to change his life. Although he has resumed his journalism, the consequences of the assault continue to shape his personal security and daily routine.

The case also reinforces Britain’s commitment to protecting journalists and political dissidents who seek refuge within its borders. As geopolitical tensions continue to influence domestic security, British authorities are expected to maintain heightened scrutiny of foreign state activities targeting individuals living in the United Kingdom.

The convictions of George Stana and Nandito Badea stand as a significant legal response to those threats, underlining that acts of politically motivated violence carried out on behalf of foreign governments will face severe punishment under British law.