Romania arrested and charged two nationals over the stabbing of prominent Iran International presenter Pouria Zeraati in London earlier this year, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service said on Thursday, but authorities stopped short of linking Tehran to the attack.
"Following a review of the evidence provided by the Metropolitan Police Service’s Counter Terrorism Command, we have authorised charges against two Romanian nationals," the CPS said in a statement.
Iran has previously denied involvement in the case and any alleged attempts to attack dissidents abroad.
The men named as Nandito Badea, 19 and George Stana, 23 were arrested on Wednesday and have appeared in a Romanian court on charges of "wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and wounding".
They now face extradition to the UK.
"The charges relate to an attack on a journalist in Wimbledon on the afternoon of Friday, 29 March 2024," the CPS added.
Zeraati was stabbed outside his home in Wimbledon, south London, on that date and sustained leg injuries.
"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,” the London Metropolitan Police's acting counter terrorism commander Helen Flanagan said.
Iran International spokesperson Adam Baillie welcomed the developments.
"We’re happy for Pouria, who suffered the attack, and we’re delighted that the UK police investigation into the attack has progressed to this stage."
"It is reassuring for our journalists, as for others in organisations under similar threat," Baillie added. "We see in this the commitment of the UK to fight transnational repression in Britain.”
US and British law enforcement agencies have previously accused Tehran of recruiting criminals and gang members to attack dissidents abroad.
“We’re not dealing with the usual suspects,” Matt Jukes, head of counterterrorism policing in the UK, was quoted as saying in a Washington Post article in September.
“What we’ve got is a hostile state actor that sees the battlefield as being without borders, and individuals in London are as legitimate as targets as if they were in Iran.”
US federal indictments last year accused three individuals allegedly linked to an Eastern European mafia group of plotting to assassinate Iranian-American journalist and activist Masih Alinejad at the request of Iranian authorities.
