Salman Rushdie attacker faces US terrorism trial

Hadi Matar, the man who attacked author Salman Rushdie on stage in 2022, is once again facing legal proceedings, this time in a federal trial on terrorism charges. Matar was previously found guilty of attempted murder and assault at the state level, receiving a 25-year prison sentence last year. His federal trial commenced Wednesday in Buffalo, New York, approximately 70 miles from the Chautauqua Institution where the attack occurred.

Prosecutors contend that Matar's actions were motivated by the 1989 fatwa issued by former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which called for Rushdie's death over his novel "The Satanic Verses." They also argue that Matar acted in support of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia. Matar, a dual US-Lebanese citizen, denies charges including providing material support to terrorists and committing an act of transnational terrorism. If convicted on all counts, he faces a possible life sentence.

The trial is expected to last about two weeks, with the 79-year-old Rushdie, who survived the attack but lost an eye and suffered lasting nerve damage, anticipated to testify again. Evidence presented by prosecutors includes details from Matar's electronic devices and personal journal, which reportedly contained research on carrying out an attack and notes contemplating the urgency due to Rushdie's age. Photographs of Khomeini and his successor, Ali Khamenei, were allegedly found in Matar's New Jersey bedroom. Additionally, prosecutors claim Matar circulated propaganda videos and corresponded with an Iran-based contact who allegedly knew Rushdie's whereabouts and inquired about the fatwa's active status.

Rushdie, a Booker Prize-winning author born in India, has been the target of threats since the publication of "The Satanic Verses." Iran has consistently denied involvement in the 2022 attack, though the fatwa has never been formally rescinded. In 2024, Rushdie published "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder," a memoir reflecting on the attack.