Two Romanian men have been sentenced to prison for a targeted knife attack on a Persian-language television journalist in London. Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, were convicted at London's Woolwich Crown Court in June on charges of wounding with intent.
The victim, Pouria Zaratifoukolaei, also known as Pouria Zeraati, was stabbed three times in the leg outside his home in Wimbledon in March 2024. For their roles in the attack, Badea was sentenced to eight years in jail and Stana was sentenced to 12 years.
British prosecutors and a judge stated that the attack was carried out on behalf of the Iranian state, with the two men acting as proxies for the Tehran regime.
Zeraati works for Iran International, a private broadcaster based in west London that is critical of the Tehran regime. In 2022, Tehran labeled Iran International and the BBC's Persian-language channel as terrorist organizations.