Man convicted in terrorism trial over 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie
Hadi Matar has been convicted of federal terrorism charges for the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie. Matar, who is already serving a state prison sentence for attempted murder, now faces a potential life sentence for the federal offense.
Why it matters
The conviction marks a significant legal conclusion to a high-profile attack on free speech and the safety of writers globally.
A man was convicted Wednesday (July 29, 2026) 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.
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 amphitheatre stage. The federal conviction carries a potential life sentence.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in