Hadi Matar, 28, was found guilty on Wednesday by a New York federal court jury of engaging in an act of transnational terrorism and providing material support to Hezbollah, a designated terrorist group. The convictions stem from the August 2022 attack on the British-Indian author Salman Rushdie at a literary event in western New York.
Prosecutors argued that Matar was motivated by a 1989 fatwa issued by Iran's religious leader calling for Rushdie's death, and a 2006 speech by the then-leader of Hezbollah urging the fatwa's enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch told the jury that Matar decided to carry out the attack himself after concluding no one else would. The jury heard evidence including videos made by Matar and testimony from Rushdie.
Rushdie, who testified during the trial, described being stabbed 15 times, including wounds to his cheek, chest, eye, neck, and thigh. He recounted lying on the stage with a large pool of blood around him and revealed the extent of his eye injury, stating the attacker's knife came "within millimetres from my brain." He credited a firefighter with saving his life through medical care.
Matar's defense attorneys contended that the attack was not motivated by terrorism and questioned Rushdie about whether he anticipated backlash for his controversial 1988 novel, "The Satanic Verses." Rushdie responded that he did not believe the book was on trial, but rather that "somebody else is on trial."
Matar is currently serving a 25-year sentence following his conviction in a 2025 state court for attempted murder. The new federal convictions could result in a life prison sentence.