Two Romanians Convicted in 2024 Stabbing of Iran Critic Pouria Zeraati
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 5
Two Romanians Convicted in 2024 Stabbing of Iran Critic Pouria Zeraati
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 5
Summary
Woolwich Crown Court convicted Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, of wounding Pouria Zeraati with intent after the March 29, 2024 attack outside his Wimbledon home.
Counterterrorism police said Zeraati was targeted over his Iran International role, describing the pair as paid "proxies" used to silence a prominent opponent of the Iranian regime.
Three stab wounds sent Zeraati to hospital for stitches; prosecutors said Badea wielded the knife, Stana drove the getaway car, and a third suspect, David Andrei, allegedly restrained the journalist but was not extradited from Romania.
More than £80,000 moved through Stana's sister's Revolut account from London construction firm Hemroc Ltd and then to accounts linked to the attackers, evidence prosecutors said showed outside funding.
The case adds to a growing pattern of overseas-regime influence operations in Britain, with detectives still pursuing wider links after a January 2025 arrest of a 40-year-old man in north-west London.
An £80,000 payment funded the attack. Will the masterminds behind the money ever face justice?
How does Iran turn European criminals into state-sponsored terrorists for a few thousand pounds?
Iran’s Global Campaign Against Journalists: The 2024 Stabbing of Pouria Zeraati, UK Prosecution, and the Rise of State-Sponsored Proxy Attacks
Overview
In March 2024, Iranian journalist Pouria Zeraati was attacked outside his home in Wimbledon, where he was restrained by David Andrei and stabbed in the thigh by Nandito Badea before both fled to a getaway car driven by George Stana. The attackers abandoned the car and some clothing, then took a taxi to Heathrow Airport and left the country. As of June 2026, the trial for this targeted attack is ongoing at Woolwich Crown Court, but no verdict or sentencing has been reported. The case highlights the risks faced by journalists and the complex, organized nature of such assaults.