Overview
- The attack left Iran International presenter Pouria Zeraati bleeding in the street after he was stabbed three times in the right thigh on March 29, 2024, and he was treated at St George’s Hospital.
- At Woolwich Crown Court prosecutors said the assault was preceded by reconnaissance, showed CCTV of the incident and argued it was carried out by criminal proxies acting on behalf of the Iranian state.
- Two Romanian nationals, Nandito Badea and George Stana, are on trial charged with wounding with intent and have pleaded not guilty while a third named man, David Andrei, remains in Romania and is not a defendant in this trial.
- Court evidence includes witness testimony that the attackers were smiling and laughing as they fled, a Bolt taxi journey to Heathrow and onward flights via Geneva to Romania, plus items connecting suspects to the getaway car such as clothing, a carrier bag and a bottle of Dettol.
- The case highlights wider threats to exiled journalists after Iran International was designated hostile by Tehran in 2022 and shows how rapid cross‑border escape and differing legal jurisdictions could complicate accountability and extradition, with the trial ongoing and no verdict reached.