Hadi Matar, the man who brutally attacked renowned author Salman Rushdie during a literary event in New York in August 2022, has been found guilty of attempted murder and assault. A jury in Chautauqua County delivered the verdict after a two-week trial. Matar now faces a possible prison sentence of over 30 years, with sentencing scheduled for April 23.
Rushdie, best known for his novel The Satanic Verses, was repeatedly stabbed on stage before being rushed to the hospital. The attack left him with life-altering injuries, including the loss of vision in one eye and a paralyzed hand. Matar, who pleaded not guilty, chose not to testify in court. However, in a previous jailhouse interview, he expressed admiration for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, who had issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death in 1989.
Prosecutors argued that Matar’s attack was premeditated, citing his social media activity and travel plans leading up to the incident. He also faces separate federal charges related to terrorism, including allegations of providing material support to Hezbollah.
Rushdie, now 77, has since returned to public life but continues to suffer from the physical and emotional trauma of the attack. The conviction is seen as a victory for free speech advocates, who condemned the violence against the author.
