Iranian Journalist Testifies at London Trial Over Alleged Proxy Stabbing

Iran International presenter Pouria Zeraati took the stand at Woolwich Crown Court to testify about an attack that left him bleeding from three knife wounds to his upper thigh. Zeraati told the jury that on 29 March 2024, two men assaulted him outside his residence in the Wimbledon area of south-west London. The trial centres on charges against George Stana, 25, and Nandito Badea, 21, who both deny wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and unlawful wounding. The prosecution alleges the stabbing was a carefully planned operation ordered by a third party acting on behalf of the Iranian state.

The Details

Giving evidence, Zeraati described the assault in detail. He said one of the men attacked him from behind and then stabbed the back of his right thigh repeatedly without hesitation. "He started stabbing the back of my right thigh very quickly. All the time, he was looking me in the eye," Zeraati told the court. After the attackers fled from the scene, Zeraati said he realised the incident might relate to the threats he had been receiving.

The prosecution, led by Duncan Atkinson KC, told the jury that the attack was not a random street crime or attempted robbery. "This was not a random assault, or a form of robbery. Rather it was a planned and targeted attack," Atkinson said. He told the court the assault was preceded by surveillance and that it was ordered by a third party acting on behalf of the Iranian state. The prosecution claims a third Romanian man, David Andrei, was involved in restraining Zeraati during the assault. Andrei remains in Romania and is not currently on trial in London. The prosecution further alleges that Stana drove the getaway vehicle used to flee the scene.

Context

The case casts a renewed spotlight on the dangers faced by staff at Iran International, a Persian-language opposition television channel based in London. The outlet has previously operated under armed police protection because of threats linked to Iran. In 2022, the Iranian government formally designated Iran International a terrorist organisation.

Evidence presented at trial reveals a pattern of threats against Zeraati and his family stretching back several years. Zeraati's wife previously told police that in November 2022, two men on a motorbike approached her and issued threats in Farsi, saying her husband was their enemy and that they were going to kill her. The court also heard that in 2022, posters bearing Zeraati's image and the words "Wanted: dead or alive" were displayed in Tehran. These prior incidents form part of the background against which the prosecution argues the stabbing was a targeted, state-linked operation rather than an isolated criminal act.

What's Next

The trial is being heard at Woolwich Crown Court and is expected to last up to four weeks. Stana and Badea remain on trial and deny the charges against them. The outcome of the proceedings will determine whether the jury finds the attack was a coordinated proxy assault ordered on behalf of the Iranian state, as the prosecution alleges.