Rushdie attacker convicted of terror charges

Hadi Matar, who is already serving a 25-year prison sentence for attempting to kill author Salman Rushdie, has been convicted of further terror-related charges. A jury in a New York federal court found Matar guilty on Wednesday of providing material support to Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group designated as a terrorist organisation by the United States and other nations.

Prosecutors presented arguments that Matar's actions were influenced by a 1989 religious edict, or fatwa, issued by Iran's religious leader calling for Rushdie's death. The jury also convicted Matar of engaging in an act of transnational terrorism.

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Author's Testimony

Salman Rushdie testified during the trial, detailing the 2022 attack. He described severe injuries, including being stabbed 15 times to areas such as his cheek, chest, eye, neck, and thigh. Rushdie credited a firefighter with providing medical care that saved his life. He showed the jury the extent of his eye injury, which has left him partially blind, and stated the attacker's knife came very close to his brain.

Rushdie told the court, "I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me." He described the blood as "an enormous and expansive lake of blood."

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Prosecution's Case

Assistant US Attorney Timothy Lynch, in his closing statement as reported by The Buffalo News, argued that Matar was motivated by a 2006 speech from the then-leader of Hezbollah, which called for the fatwa against Rushdie to be enforced. Prosecutors contended that Matar had plotted the attack for two years, stating, "The defendant decided no one was going to do it, so he had to do it. The defendant is the one who answered that call."

Videos made by Matar, aged 28, were presented as evidence. Defense attorneys argued that Matar's attack was not driven by terrorism. They questioned Rushdie about whether he anticipated a negative reaction to his 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses. Rushdie responded, "I don't believe the book is on trial. Somebody else is on trial."

Previous Conviction and Sentencing

Matar is currently serving a 25-year sentence following a state court conviction in 2025 for attempted murder. His new federal conviction for terror offenses carries a potential sentence of life imprisonment.

The 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses, which was inspired by the life of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad, caused significant controversy and was considered blasphemous by some Muslims. This led to numerous death threats against Rushdie, forcing him into hiding for nine years after the fatwa was issued by Iran's religious leader.

Rushdie later chronicled his experiences and recovery in his memoir, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. His first fiction work in several years, titled The Eleventh Hour, was released last year.