Author Salman Rushdie's Attacker Hadi Matar Convicted On Terrorism Charges
Hadi Matar has been convicted on federal terrorism charges for the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie. The court found that Matar acted to support the militant group Hezbollah, following a long-standing fatwa against the author.
Why it matters
The case serves as a significant legal precedent for transnational terrorism and the protection of free speech against ideologically motivated violence.
The man who stabbed and partially blinded author Salman Rushdie on stage at a New York arts institute in 2022 was found guilty on Wednesday of federal terrorism charges stemming from the attack.Hadi Matar, 28, was convicted of attempting to provide material support to Lebanon's Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, a US-designated terrorist organization, as well as engaging in transnational terrorism and providing material support to terrorists.A US District Court jury in Buffalo, New York, returned its guilty verdict on all charges after deliberations of just two hours, capping a trial that began last Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for federal prosecutors.Rushdie, 79, had faced threats on his life since the 1988 publication of his novel "The Satanic Verses."
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