Romanian Pair Jailed 20 Years for Stabbing Iran Critic in London

Q: Why has the man linked to an £80,000 payment for the Iran-backed attack not been charged?

There is no public explanation yet for why Edgar Hakkopian, the man detectives linked to the £80,000 payment trail, has not been charged. What is on the record is that investigators traced more than £80,000 from London construction firm Hemroc Ltd into the Revolut account of George Stana’s sister, with money then moving on to accounts connected to Stana and Nandito Badea. Court reporting says those transfers were linked by detectives to Hakkopian, a British-Iranian dual national. But the available case material only says he has not been charged; it does not set out a prosecutorial reason. The most likely practical explanation is that the counter-terrorism investigation is still active and prosecutors have not yet decided there is sufficient admissible evidence to bring charges, or they are not prepared to disclose that evidence publicly. That would be consistent with police statements that the investigation is continuing and with the fact that another suspect was arrested in January 2025 and later released on bail. It is also important that the trial that ended with the jailing of Badea and Stana focused on the stabbing itself and the roles of the attackers, not on proving criminal liability for every person in the wider alleged financing chain. So while the money trail was cited as part of the background, no public court finding has yet explained Hakkopian’s legal position beyond the fact that he remains uncharged.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 3

George Stana was sentenced to 12 years and Nandito Badea to eight for the March 2024 stabbing of Iran International journalist Pouria Zeraati near his Wimbledon home.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said the attack was carried out for or for the benefit of a foreign power, finding Zeraati was targeted to silence a critic of Iran’s regime after prior threats.
Three stab wounds to Zeraati’s leg left him hospitalized, while prosecutors said the assault had been planned for at least a year with surveillance of his home; a third alleged participant, David Andrei, remains in Romania.
Zeraati told the court the attack left him fearful, sleepless and repeatedly moving home, underscoring the wider risks faced by overseas critics of Tehran.

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bbc.co.uk3h ago

Romanian Nationals Jailed for Stabbing Iranian Regime Critic Pouria Zeraati in London

Yahoo New Zealand News3h ago

Two Romanian men jailed for London knife attack on journalist 'on behalf of Iranian state' - Yahoo

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Two Romanian men jailed for London knife attack on journalist 'on behalf of Iranian state' - AOL

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Why has the man linked to an £80,000 payment for the Iran-backed attack not been charged?

How did police miss a year of surveillance before the state-sponsored stabbing of a London journalist?

Are hired criminals the new weapon for hostile states to wage shadow wars in Western cities?

UK Sentences Iranian Proxies to 8 and 12 Years for Stabbing of Journalist Pouria Zeraati in State-Backed Attack

Overview

On July 3, 2026, Woolwich Crown Court sentenced Nandito Badea and George Stana to eight and twelve years in prison for stabbing Iran International journalist Pouria Zeraati outside his London home in March 2024. The court found that the attack was a state-sponsored operation orchestrated by the Iranian regime, with Badea and Stana acting as criminal proxies. This critical finding led to a harsher sentence for Stana and highlighted the UK’s commitment to holding those who target journalists accountable, sending a strong message against hostile state activity on British soil.

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