Attack on Iranian Journalist in London
An Iranian journalist residing in London has recounted a stabbing incident outside his home, describing it as a "violent" and "very frightening" attack carried out by men accused of acting on behalf of Iran.
Pouria Zeraati, a journalist and presenter at Iran International, a Persian-language TV channel critical of the Iranian government, testified in court that he used a builder's utility belt to stem the bleeding from the wound.
Trial of Accused Assailants
Two Romanian nationals are currently on trial at Woolwich Crown Court for the knife attack that occurred on 29 March 2024.
George Stana, 25, and Nandito Badea, 21, have both pleaded not guilty to charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and unlawful wounding.
The prosecution alleges that Stana and Badea traveled from Romania to London to execute the attack as paid proxies for the Iranian state.
Details of the Attack
During his testimony on Tuesday, Zeraati described approaching his car parked near his Wimbledon residence when a man asked him for "£3 change."
He then stated that a second individual "grabbed very firmly" onto him, restricting his arm movements.
"The first person took out a knife from his pocket,"
"After that, the only thing I was focused on was the knife."
"He started stabbing the back of my right thigh very quickly. All the time, he was looking me in the eye."
Zeraati added that the assailants fled "very fast" toward Wimbledon Common.
"I noticed nothing had been stolen,"
"At the moment it clicked… it is not a robbery. I realised this might relate to the threats I had been receiving."
He called emergency services after noticing heavy bleeding, and a nearby construction worker assisted him by using a utility belt to stop the bleeding.
"The attack was violent, very frightening and very shocking,"
Zeraati was subsequently hospitalized and diagnosed with three stab wounds to his upper thigh.
Identification of Suspects and Escape
The prosecution identified the first man Zeraati encountered as Nandito Badea, whose identity is undisputed according to Badea's defense counsel.
The second man was identified as David Andrei, who is not on trial and remains in Romania.
The two men allegedly ran to a waiting Mazda driven by George Stana.
"As soon as they got into the car, it moved off at considerable speed even before the doors of it were closed,"
Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson KC stated.
The trio is said to have abandoned the vehicle and taken a taxi to Heathrow Airport, from where they flew to Geneva.
"They had fled not just the scene of the attack, but had fled the country,"
Atkinson added.
"The prosecution case is that these defendants, together with Mr Andrei, were recruited to undertake a proxy attack on Mr Zeraati on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Surveillance and Planning
The prosecution informed the jury that surveillance of Zeraati's Wimbledon address began in March 2023, a year prior to the attack.
On 1 March 2023, Zeraati's wife, Oldouz Rezvani, recorded two men wearing white gloves and blue surgical masks entering the communal garden of their apartment block.
Police stopped the men; one carried a bag containing a cricket bat and hockey stick, while the other had scissors and £2,140 in cash. The prosecution identified the latter as George Stana.
Additional reconnaissance occurred in February and March 2024.
"The confrontation with Mr Zeraati that then took place was far from random, accidental or unplanned. They had not devoted so much time to surveillance for a robbery, but for the targeted knife attack that in fact then happened,"
Atkinson said.
CCTV footage from the morning of 29 March 2024 shows Badea, Stana, and Andrei leaving their hotel and driving to Zeraati's street, where they lingered for three hours.
"Mr Badea and Mr Andrei were waiting for a sighting of their intended victim, whilst Mr Stana waited in the car, ready to drive them away once the deed was done,"
Atkinson explained.
An eyewitness later described one of the men as having "the appearance of a spy."
Threats to Zeraati's Family
The jury heard that Zeraati's wife had been threatened in November 2022.
She reported to police that two men on a motorbike approached her near her upscale gym in Chelsea, both dressed entirely in black.
Speaking in Farsi, one said,
"Your husband is our enemy" and "we are going to kill you,"
before they rode away.
In a statement read in court, Oldouz Rezvani said,
"It was an incredibly scary situation. I just wanted to get to the gym to get away from there."
Current Status of the Trial
Both Stana and Badea deny the charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and unlawful wounding.
The trial at Woolwich Crown Court is anticipated to last up to four weeks.
