Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has condemned a “deplorable” knife attack on a journalist “on behalf of Iran”, after two men were jailed for 12 and eight years for the stabbing. Iran International journalist Pouria Zeraati was left bleeding in the street after being stabbed three times outside his home in Wimbledon on March 29 2024.
Sentencing at the Old Bailey
Romanian nationals Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, both denied but were convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. At the Old Bailey on Friday, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said that the “evidence overwhelmingly points” to the attack being carried out on behalf of the Iranian regime. Following the sentencing, Foreign Secretary Ms Cooper said: “For anyone to act on behalf of Iran and to plan and carry out an attack on a journalist, on British soil, is deplorable. Today’s sentence sends a clear message to the Iranian regime and those who do its bidding.”
Details of the Attack
Stana, who the Judge said “ought to have known” that the “targeted and serious” attack was on behalf of Iran, was jailed for 12 years. Badea, who was involved in the conspiracy for less time, was handed eight years’ imprisonment. Judge Cheema-Grubb said: “I am sure that this was an attack carried out for and for the benefit of a foreign power.” She added: “Pouria Zeraati was a well known critic of the regime and he had previously been subjected to threats, as had members of his family.”
Prosecution Evidence
Mr Zeraati was stabbed three times in the thigh in what prosecutors described as “a planned attack preceded by reconnaissance, and which was ordered by a third party acting on behalf of the Iranian state”. Badea and another man called David Andrei, who is still in Romania and was not on trial, “crowded” the victim and one of them stabbed him multiple times in the thigh, the court heard. Stana waited in a blue Mazda 3 getaway car which was spotted on CCTV footage during “hostile reconnaissance” carried out before the attack.
Victim Impact
Mr Zeraati told police in a victim impact statement that the incident had left him “scared and anxious” and he had to relocate abroad “for fear of any reprisals”. Bedea and Mr Andrei attended the property on eight occasions across five dates and had flown into the county “expressly” for the attack, the prosecution said. They added that they believed the stabbing had been planned for over a year before it took place.
Context of the Attack
Rupert Kent, prosecuting, said: “These defendants knew, or at the very least ought reasonably to have known, the attack upon Mr Zeraati was instigated by a foreign power, we submit namely the Iranian regime, with which the defendants had an indirect relationship through third parties.” The court heard that Iran International is “critical of the Iranian regime” and had been designated as a terrorist organisation by the state. Mr Zeraati was a high-profile face on Iran International, and a billboard of his face had been seen in the Iranian capital with a “Wanted: Dead or Alive” message, the court heard.
Judge's Remarks
Judge Cheema-Grubb said: “Oppressive regimes tend to do all they can to suppress opposition, they cannot abide the serious scrutiny that fearless journalists provide.” “His first thought upon being attacked was that he had been targeted due to his work as a journalist critical of the Iranian regime” said Mr Kent. Jurors were told the attackers were seen laughing as they fled the scene, heading to Heathrow and flying to Geneva, Switzerland.
Defence Arguments
Stana was described by his barrister, Peter Caldwell KC as “functionally illiterate” and “not aware of current affairs” so “could not have known” he was operating on behalf of Iran. “Mr Stana was useful to others for the conduct that they had intended but he himself did not know the use to which he was being put,” said Mr Caldwell. While Badea’s barrister, David Spens KC, argued the court “cannot be sure” that it was his client who had stabbed Mr Zeraati during the attack.
Broader Context
Counter Terrorism Police say they have foiled 20 plots in the UK linked to Iran since 2022. Both were both found guilty after a trial in June. A spokesman for Iran International said: “The attack on Pouria was appalling, terrifying for him and his wife, and shocking to his colleagues at Iran International. We are thankful and grateful to the police and the UK government for their work and expertise in bringing these men to justice. It would be good to think these sentences would act as a deterrence against further attacks. Our journalists are subject to an ongoing campaign of intimidation by the Islamic Republic of Iran, both in Iran itself where their relatives are routinely threatened and treated harshly as well as to themselves on British soil.” He added: “We are more than thankful for the protection given us by the police and the UK authorities.”
