Federal Jury Convicts Salman Rushdie Attacker of Terrorism Charges Related to Iranian Fatwa

A federal jury in Buffalo found Hadi Matar, 28, guilty Wednesday of all three terrorism-related charges stemming from his August 2022 attack on author Salman Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution in Mayville, New York. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching its verdict on charges including attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah, committing an act of terrorism that crossed national boundaries, and providing support to terrorists. Matar now faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and will be sentenced on November 3.

Matar had already been serving a 25-year state prison sentence after his 2023 conviction for attempted murder in connection with the stabbing, which left Rushdie blind in one eye and suffering nerve damage. Federal prosecutors argued throughout the trial that Matar was motivated by a religious edict issued by Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, one year after Rushdie published “The Satanic Verses.” The fatwa, which called for Muslims worldwide to kill the author over perceived blasphemy in the novel, was reaffirmed in 2017 by Khomeini’s successor, Ali Khamenei.

Prosecutors presented evidence showing Matar, who was born in the United States but holds Lebanese citizenship, spent more than a year studying the fatwa before launching his attack. Court documents revealed notes written by Matar referencing “Jihad” and the “need to kill him ASAP,” according to court filings. Authorities also documented his conversion to Islam following a trip to the Middle East years before the assault.

During the assault, Matar rushed onstage and repeatedly stabbed Rushdie in the head, neck, torso and left hand. Matar’s defense attorney, Nathaniel L. Barone II, contended his client acted alone and had no coordination with Hezbollah operatives. However, prosecutors countered with photographs of Matar wearing Hezbollah apparel while making a salute gesture, essays praising the group and videos featuring remarks from a former Hezbollah leader.

Rushdie, who testified during the federal trial, has previously said the attack transported him back to the period when he spent a decade in hiding following the 1989 fatwa. In an April 2024 interview with Anderson Cooper, the Indian-born author recalled seeing “the man in black running towards me” and acknowledged he had long imagined such an encounter might occur in a public setting.