Man Who Attacked Salman Rushdie Convicted of Terrorism, Faces Life Sentence

Hadi Matar, the man who attacked author Salman Rushdie, has been convicted of terrorism offenses in addition to his prior sentence for attempted murder. A federal court in New York found Matar guilty of providing support to Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Kingdom, and other nations.

Matar is already serving a 25-year sentence imposed in 2025 by a New York state court for the attempted assassination of Rushdie, the author of "The Satanic Verses." This new conviction carries the possibility of an additional sentence, potentially including life imprisonment.

Prosecutors argued during the trial that Matar was influenced by a 1989 fatwa issued by Iran's religious leader, which called for the death of the British-American writer. Investigators also stated that Matar was motivated by a 2006 speech from the then-leader of Hezbollah, which urged the implementation of this religious condemnation. According to prosecutors, Matar had been preparing for the attack for approximately two years.

"The defendant decided that if nobody else was going to do it, then he had to do it," stated Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch in his closing argument, as cited by The Buffalo News. "The defendant is the one who answered that call."

The attack on Salman Rushdie occurred on August 12, 2022, as the author was preparing to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. Matar, then 24, ascended the stage and repeatedly stabbed the author. Rushdie survived but sustained severe injuries, losing sight in one eye and the use of one hand. During his testimony, Rushdie recounted the terrifying moments, describing 15 stab wounds to his face, chest, neck, eye, and thigh. He even removed his dark glasses to show a wound near his eye, explaining the blade passed "just millimeters from the brain."