Man convicted in federal terrorism trial over stabbing of author Salman Rushdie
Hadi Matar has been convicted of federal terrorism charges for the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie. The jury found that the attack was motivated by a long-standing death threat issued against the author following the publication of his novel, 'The Satanic Verses'.
Why it matters
This conviction highlights the ongoing global implications of free speech controversies and the legal consequences of transnational terrorism.
A man was convicted Wednesday of federal terrorism charges in the 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie, the author who has faced a decades-old death threat over his novel “The Satanic Verses.” A jury found Hadi Matar guilty of all the charges against him, including engaging in an act of transnational terrorism. A message seeking comment was sent to Matar’s attorneys. Matar, 28, is already serving a 25-year New York state prison sentence on an attempted murder conviction in the August 2022 attack on an amphitheater stage. The federal conviction carries a potential life sentence. Rushdie, who was about to speak on writers’ safety, was slashed 15 times in front of a stunned audience. He was gravely wounded and lost the sight in his right eye.
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