The man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie in 2022 is now on trial for federal terrorism charges, with prosecutors asserting the assault was an attempt to carry out a religious decree calling for the author's death. Hadi Matar, 28, has pleaded not guilty to charges including engaging in an act of transnational terrorism.
During opening statements in Buffalo, New York, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch told jurors that Matar's intent was to "fulfill the fatwa," a religious ruling issued in 1989 by Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The decree called for Rushdie's death over perceived blasphemy in his 1988 novel, "The Satanic Verses."
Rushdie, 79, a Booker Prize-winning author and free-speech advocate, was repeatedly attacked on stage at the Chautauqua Institution, an arts and intellectual retreat. He is expected to testify later this week about the stabbing, which nearly killed him and left him with vision loss in one eye.
Matar is currently serving a 25-year sentence in New York State prison following a conviction for attempted murder and assault. His defense attorney, Nathaniel Barone, urged jurors to consider Matar's intent, emphasizing that the case hinges on motivation as well as actions.
Prosecutors contend that Matar acted in loyalty to Iran's government and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Evidence presented by the prosecution includes information found on Matar's electronic devices related to the fatwa and his research on Rushdie, as well as photos of Iranian religious leaders found in his bedroom. Federal agents also found journals and notes detailing research on Rushdie and potential methods for his assassination.
Matar, a U.S. citizen born to Lebanese parents, reportedly became withdrawn after a 2018 trip to Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based. He has expressed support for Palestinians and stated in his prior sentencing that he believed in free speech but called Rushdie a "hypocrite."
The federal trial aims to delve deeper into Matar's motive, contrasting with the state-level attempted murder case that focused more on the specifics of the knife attack. If convicted of the federal charges, Matar faces a potential life sentence. Iran's government has denied involvement in the 2022 stabbing, though a Foreign Ministry spokesperson at the time suggested Rushdie had invited trouble by insulting Islam.