Image@ Reuters
A federal jury in Buffalo, New York, has convicted Hadi Matar on terrorism-related offences stemming from the 2022 knife attack that left celebrated novelist Salman Rushdie permanently injured.
The 28-year-old, who is already serving a 25-year prison sentence after a state conviction for attempted murder, now faces the possibility of life imprisonment following the latest verdict.
Sentencing in the federal case is scheduled for November 3.
After approximately two hours of deliberation, jurors found Matar guilty on every count, including supporting the Lebanese militant organisation Hezbollah, committing terrorism across national borders, and providing assistance to terrorists.
United States authorities argued that the assault was motivated by long-standing calls for Rushdie’s death linked to his controversial novel The Satanic Verses.
Proceedings began last week and featured testimony from the 79-year-old Booker Prize-winning author.
Rushdie recounted the life-changing consequences of the attack, while the defence chose not to present witnesses, including the accused.
Rushdie has lived under threats since the release of The Satanic Verses in 1988.
Salman Rushdie
The following year, Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, declared the novel blasphemous and issued a fatwa urging Muslims to kill the writer and others associated with its publication.
That decree sparked worldwide controversy, inspired violent incidents, and contributed to the killing of Japanese translator Hitoshi Igarashi in 1991.
Although Iranian officials later distanced themselves from the ruling, it continued to receive public backing from Hezbollah leadership and was reaffirmed by Khomeini’s successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Federal prosecutors told the court that Matar spent more than a year studying the fatwa before carrying out the assault during a public event at the Chautauqua Institution in Mayville, New York, on August 12, 2022.
During the incident, Rushdie sustained multiple stab wounds to his head, neck, chest and hand.
The injuries left him blind in one eye and caused severe internal damage.
Another individual on stage also suffered injuries before audience members intervened and restrained the attacker.
Matar, who was born in the United States and also holds Lebanese nationality, previously lived in Fairview, New Jersey.
He was convicted in a New York state court in February 2025 and later received a 25-year prison sentence.
Born in India to a Muslim Kashmiri family, Rushdie later became a British and American citizen.
Following years of living under police protection in Britain, he eventually settled in New York.
In 2024, he published Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder, a memoir reflecting on the attack, his recovery, and the lasting emotional impact of the ordeal.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong