Man Convicted On Federal Terrorism Charges Over Salman Rushdie Stabbing
A federal jury convicted Hadi Matar on terrorism charges over the 2022 stabbing attack against author Salman Rushdie in New York.
The verdict was returned after jurors in Buffalo, New York, found the 27 year old guilty on all federal counts, including attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah, providing material support to terrorists, and committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries.
The federal conviction comes after Matar was previously sentenced to 25 years in prison in New York state court following his conviction for attempted murder and assault earlier this year. The new federal case focused on the alleged terrorist motivations behind the attack rather than the assault itself.
Prosecutors argued that Matar carried out the attack in support of Hezbollah and was influenced by the 1989 fatwa issued by Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which called for Rushdie's death after the publication of The Satanic Verses.
During the trial, Salman Rushdie testified about the attack, describing how he was repeatedly stabbed while preparing to speak at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York in August 2022. The assault left the acclaimed author permanently blind in one eye and with lasting nerve damage.
Federal prosecutors presented evidence including electronic messages, notebooks, and online activity that they said demonstrated Matar's admiration for Hezbollah and his intention to carry out the attack in response to the longstanding fatwa. Defence lawyers argued there was insufficient evidence to prove terrorism related intent.
The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before returning guilty verdicts on all counts. Prosecutors described the attack as an ideologically motivated act of international terrorism rather than an isolated assault.
Matar now faces a possible life sentence when he is sentenced in federal court later this year. His federal sentence will be determined separately from the state sentence he is already serving for the attempted murder conviction.
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