Hadi Matar Convicted for Salman Rushdie Attack

Hadi Matar was convicted on Wednesday of federal terrorism charges for the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie. The jury delivered a swift verdict after only a few hours of deliberations, finding Matar guilty of all charges, including engaging in transnational terrorism.

In 2022, Rushdie was attacked and slashed 15 times while on stage in an amphitheater. This attack left him gravely injured, resulting in the loss of sight in his right eye. Prosecutors identified the motive as stemming from Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s 1989 fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death due to his novel “The Satanic Verses.”

“His brutal attack on Mr. Rushdie during a peaceful speaking event is a chilling reminder of the global reach of Iranian terrorism,” stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg after the verdict.

Matar’s defense argued a lack of evidence regarding his intent, but Matar did not testify in his own defense. Rushdie did testify, explaining the impact of the attack on his life.

Matar, already serving a 25-year sentence for attempted murder in New York, faces a potential life sentence at his federal sentencing scheduled for November 3.

Rushdie is a critically acclaimed author, winning the Booker Prize in 1981 for his novel “Midnight’s Children.” His 1988 work, “The Satanic Verses,” led to international protests as some perceived it as offensive to Islam.

Despite the Iranian government’s 1998 distancing from Khomeini’s fatwa, Matar was shown to have communicated about the fatwa through messaging apps in 2021 and 2022. These messages indicated Matar’s belief that Rushdie had insulted Islam and should face retribution.

U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo described Matar’s preparation for the attack, detailing how he planned the execution of Rushdie as a jihad. By spring 2022, he tracked Rushdie’s movements, pointing to his appearance at the Chautauqua Institution, where the attack occurred.

The attack, witnessed by the audience and another speaker, Henry Reese, ended with Matar’s arrest after being restrained by spectators and law enforcement.

Following the attack, Rushdie published a memoir in 2024 and a new novel, “The Eleventh Hour,” last year. He received a lifetime achievement award from the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.