Man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie convicted of ‘terrorism’ charges
Hadi Matar, the man who attacked author Salman Rushdie in 2022, has been convicted of federal terrorism charges in a US court. Prosecutors successfully argued that the attack was motivated by the 1989 fatwa issued against Rushdie by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini.
Why it matters
The conviction highlights the long-lasting impact of international political and religious decrees on individual safety and the reach of state-sponsored extremism.
US court finds attacker, who is already serving 25-year prison sentence, guilty of additional charges over 2022 assault.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Hadi Matar was sentenced to 25 years in prison in May last year [File: Lindsay DeDario/Reuters] By AP and Reuters Published On 30 Jul 2026 30 Jul 2026 A man already serving a prison sentence in New York for attempting to murder the novelist Salman Rushdie has additionally been found guilty of federal “terrorism” charges and could be jailed for life.
Hadi Matar, 28, is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence for attempting to kill Rushdie in a knife attack in 2022.
That happened during a speaking engagement in New York and left Rushdie partially blind. Matar was sentenced to 25 years in May last year.
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