Two jailed over Iran-linked attack on journalist

Two Romanian nationals were jailed for stabbing a journalist in Wimbledon on behalf of the Iranian regime in an attempt to "silence" him. Their target, Pouria Zeraati, works for the Persian language channel Iran International, that is critical of the Iranian government. Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, attacked him in March 2024 as he walked to his car near his home, just around the corner from the All England Lawn Tennis Club. The knife attack left Mr Zeraati in hospital needing stitches for three stab wounds in his leg. The court heard Stana had driven the Mazda getaway car. Mr Zeraati said Badea wielded the knife, while a third man, David Andrei, held him while he was being stabbed. The men then left the UK on a flight to Geneva from Heathrow Airport. Andrei is still in Romania, Badea and Stana were extradited to the UK. At the Old Bailey, Stana was sentenced to 12 years in prison and Badea to eight, after being convicted last month of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Sentencing Badea and Stana, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said "I am sure that this was an attack for - or for the benefit of - a foreign power." "The victim Pouria Zeraati was not selected at random." "He had previously been subject to threats," she said, and there had been posters put up in the Iranian capital Tehran with his photograph and the words "Wanted. Dead or alive". The judge concluded that Stana knew or should have known that the attack was being carried out on behalf of Iran, but said she was not sure that Badea knew. The judge's sentencing remarks can be read in full at: https://www.judiciary.uk/judgments/r-... SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more videos:    / @skynewscourts   Follow Sky News on Twitter:   / skynews   and   / skynewsbreak   Like us on Facebook:   / skynews   Follow us on Instagram:   / skynews   For more content go to http://news.sky.com and download our apps: Apple https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sky-n... Android https://play.google.com/store/apps/de...