Man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie convicted on terrorism charges
The man who repeatedly stabbed author Salman Rushdie during a speaking event in New York has been convicted on federal terrorism charges for carrying out the 2022 attack in support of Hezbollah.
A federal jury on Wednesday found Hadi Matar, 28, guilty of attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah, engaging in an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and providing material support to terrorists. He faces up to life in prison when sentenced on November 3.
Matar attacked Rushdie as the author prepared to speak at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York on August 12, 2022. Rushdie was stabbed more than a dozen times, leaving him blind in his right eye and with lasting damage to his left hand.
Prosecutors said Matar spent more than a year researching a fatwa issued by Iranian Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, which called for Rushdie’s death over his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses.”
The fatwa was endorsed in 2006 by then-Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and reaffirmed in 2017 by then-Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Before the attack, Matar discussed the fatwa and Hezbollah’s endorsement of it with people in Iran, Australia and Canada, according to evidence presented at trial. He also created videos combining material about the fatwa with footage of Nasrallah calling for Rushdie’s death.
Matar traveled to the Chautauqua Institution under the name “Hassan Mughniyeh” and carried a fake driver’s license with the same name. Prosecutors said it combined the names of Nasrallah and Imad Mughniyeh, a former Hezbollah commander linked to multiple terrorist attacks.
On the morning of the stabbing, Matar visited a Hezbollah-operated website and took screenshots of militants who had died during the month of August. Prosecutors said he had surrounded himself with images and other symbols honoring Hezbollah members before carrying out the attack.
“Matar spent more than a year immersing himself in Hizballah’s violent ideology and preparing to act on a fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollahs calling for Mr. Rushdie’s murder,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.
“His brutal attack on Mr. Rushdie during a peaceful speaking event is a chilling reminder of the global reach of Iranian terrorism,” Eisenberg added. “With today’s verdict, justice has been done, and Matar will pay for his crimes.”
Matar was previously convicted in state court of attempted murder and assault for the stabbing and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The federal case focused on the alleged terrorist motivation behind the attack and his support for Hezbollah.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
