LONDON — Nandito Badea was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in the 29 March 2024 stabbing of journalist Pouria Zeraati in Wimbledon, London. Badea and George Stana were convicted of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutors stated the attack was planned and ordered by a third party acting on behalf of the Iranian state. Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb stated that evidence overwhelmingly points to the attack being carried out on behalf of the Iranian regime. "I am sure that this was an attack carried out for and for the benefit of a foreign power," Cheema-Grubb said.

Badea, 21, and David Andrei crowded Zeraati during the attack outside his home. One of the attackers stabbed Zeraati three times in the thigh. George Stana waited in a Mazda getaway car, and the attackers were seen laughing as they fled. Badea and Andrei had visited Zeraati's property eight times across five dates prior to the incident.

Prosecutors said Badea and Andrei flew into the U.K. expressly for the attack, which they believed had been planned for over a year. After the stabbing, the attackers fled to Heathrow Airport and flew to Geneva. Both Badea and Stana, who are Romanian nationals, pleaded not guilty. David Andrei is a suspect who remains in Romania and is the subject of criminal proceedings there.

Zeraati, a journalist for the Persian-language channel Iran International, stated in a victim impact statement that the incident left him "scared and anxious." He added that he had to relocate abroad "for fear of any reprisals." Zeraati recovered from the attack and returned to work. Iran International is designated as a terrorist organization by the Iranian state.

Security Minister Angela Eagle commented on the sentencing. "These sentences send a clear message: anyone acting on behalf of a foreign state to commit crimes in the UK will be identified, pursued and punished," Eagle said. She added that legislation is being fast-tracked to introduce new powers against state-linked organizations and their proxies. Prior to the attack, a billboard of Zeraati's face with a "Wanted: Dead or Alive" message was seen in Tehran.