A federal jury has found Hadi Matar guilty on all terrorism-related charges for the brutal stabbing of author Salman Rushdie during a lecture in western New York in 2022. The verdict, delivered on Wednesday, includes a conviction for engaging in an act of transnational terrorism and aiding a foreign terrorist organization. Matar, who is already serving a 25-year state prison sentence for attempted murder, now faces additional federal penalties that could result in a life sentence.
The attack took place on August 12, 2022, at the Chautauqua Institution, where Rushdie was about to deliver a talk on the importance of protecting free expression. Matar rushed the stage and stabbed Rushdie multiple times in the neck and abdomen, leaving him with severe injuries including the loss of an eye and permanent damage to his liver and arm. Security personnel and audience members subdued Matar at the scene, and he was immediately taken into custody.
During the federal trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Matar had become radicalized by the fatwa issued against Rushdie in 1989 by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which called for the author’s death over his novel «The Satanic Verses». They argued that Matar’s attack was not merely an isolated act of violence but a premeditated act of terrorism intended to support Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States. Investigators found that Matar had consumed extensive online propaganda linked to Hezbollah and had expressed admiration for its leaders in the months before the stabbing.
The jury deliberated for less than a day before returning the guilty verdict on all counts, including one count of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and one count of committing an act of transnational terrorism. The conviction marks one of the rare instances in which a domestic attack on a high-profile figure has been prosecuted under federal terrorism statutes, underscoring the Justice Department’s view that religiously motivated violence against authors can constitute a threat to national security.
Rushdie, who has since resumed public speaking and writing, released a statement through his attorney expressing gratitude to the jury and law enforcement. «This verdict sends a clear message that violence aimed at silencing writers and thinkers will not be tolerated, and that those who commit such acts on behalf of extremists will face the full weight of the law», the statement said. Human rights organizations and free-speech advocates also welcomed the outcome, noting that it reaffirms the principle that no ideological or religious grievance justifies attempted murder.
Matar’s defense team had argued that he acted alone and that his actions did not meet the legal definition of terrorism because he was not directed by a foreign group. They also attempted to portray him as a troubled young man who became fixated on Rushdie after watching online videos. The prosecution, however, successfully demonstrated that Matar’s attack was part of a broader pattern of Hezbollah-inspired violence and that he had taken steps to aid the organization’s cause by targeting a prominent figure who had long been a symbol of the fatwa.
Sentencing in the federal case has not yet been scheduled, but legal analysts expect Matar to receive a life sentence given the severity of the charges and his lack of remorse. The state sentence of 25 years for attempted murder will run concurrently with any federal term, but the federal conviction carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a potential maximum of life imprisonment. The case has been closely watched around the world, particularly in countries where authors and journalists face violent reprisals for their work.