Hadi Matar, who stabbed Salman Rushdie 15 times in 2022, was convicted of federal terrorism charges for allegedly carrying out a decades-old fatwa against the author. The jury found him guilty of transnational terrorism, with prosecutors linking the attack to Iran’s theocratic regime and Hezbollah.
Hadi Matar, a 28-year-old U.S.-born man with Lebanese citizenship, was convicted of federal terrorism charges for attacking Salman Rushdie in 2022, marking a pivotal moment in the legal battle over the author’s 1989 fatwa. The jury found Matar guilty of engaging in an act of transnational terrorism, with prosecutors arguing he acted out of loyalty to Iran’s theocratic government and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. The conviction follows a state-level attempted murder conviction, which had already sentenced Matar to 25 years in prison. The federal case now threatens to extend his sentence to life, with the attack described as a “savage” assault that left Rushdie blind in one eye and requiring extensive medical treatment.
The Attack and Immediate Aftermath
Matar stormed the stage at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York during a lecture by Rushdie, who was discussing writer safety. Wearing a medical mask, he stabbed the author 15 times before being subdued by spectators and a state trooper. Rushdie, now 79, recounted the attack in a 2024 interview, describing the “shadow” left by the near-fatal encounter. During the federal trial, Matar refused to testify, while prosecutors presented evidence of his online communications, including messages referencing the 1989 fatwa and remarks by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Prosecutors’ Case: Fatwa, Hezbollah, and a ‘Holy War’
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch argued that Matar’s actions were framed as part of what he considered a jihad, to fulfill the fatwa issued by late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which called for Rushdie’s death over his novel The Satanic Verses. Prosecutors claimed Matar had worked out where Rushdie lived and was tracking his public appearances for years, allegedly linking the attack to Hezbollah’s ideology. Court exhibits included photographs from Matar’s New Jersey bedroom and messages on his computer that prosecutors said demonstrated his support for Hezbollah, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. Lynch stated, Matar aimed to fulfill the fatwa and wanted everyone to know he was doing this for Hezbollah.
Rushdie took the stand and confronted the man accused of trying to kill him during the trial, stating, I can’t say what his ambitions or his aim was, but the wounds were dispersed across my body.
Barone argued that the biggest challenge facing prosecutors is determining Matar’s “state of mind,” noting, There’s no facts.
There’s no hard evidence.
However, prosecutors cited Matar’s own notes, including a message to himself: We need to kill him ASAP,
which they framed as proof of premeditated intent.
Defense Challenges and Legal Strategy
Barone highlighted the lack of “hard evidence” linking Matar to the fatwa, stating, There could be a number of reasonable, plausible explanations as to what he was thinking.
The defense also pointed to Matar’s 2018 trip to Lebanon, where his mother claimed he became moody and withdrawn.
Despite these arguments, the jury convicted Matar on all charges, including transnational terrorism.
What’s Next for Matar and the Legal Precedent
There’s a shadow,
he said in 2024, reflecting on the trauma of the incident.
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