Two men charged over stabbing of Iranian journalist outside London home

Two Romanian men have been charged in connection with the stabbing of British-based Iranian journalist, Pouria Zeraati, earlier this year.

Zeraati, a presenter for Iran International, a Persian-language news channel, was stabbed outside his home in Wimbledon, south London, March. He sustained leg injuries from the attack, which he said left him feeling so vulnerable on British soil that he left the UK.

The incident happened on March 29 and sparked a Metropolitan Police investigation led by the force's Counter Terrorism Command.

Following an investigation by the Met, two Romanians were arrested on Wednesday over the stabbing.

Nandito Badea, 19, and George Stana, 23, were arrested in Romania on December 4. They are each charged with “wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and wounding,” according to the Crown Prosecution Service, which released a statement on Thursday. 

“They have both now appeared in a Romanian court for the start of extradition proceedings,” the CPS spokesperson added.

British prosecutors said they will continue to work closely with Romanian authorities to ensure that the extradition request is progressed through the courts.

If extradition is granted, Badea and Stana will be brought to the UK to face criminal proceedings.

Acting Commander Helen Flanagan, from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “We have been investigating this incident and gathering as much evidence as possible to reach the point where the CPS were able to authorise charges. This work has led to the arrest and detention of two men in Romania and I’d like to thank our Romanian counterparts for their cooperation on this matter.

“We now await the extradition process to progress so that the men can face prosecution here in the UK. In the meantime we won’t be commenting further on the investigation and would urge others not to speculate about the case, given criminal proceedings are now pending.”