New York Federal Jury Convicts Hadi Matar of Terrorism for Attack on Salman Rushdie

Hadi Matar, a 28‑year‑old Lebanese‑American, was found guilty on all federal terrorism charges by a jury in Buffalo, New York. The verdict follows his earlier 25‑year sentence in a New York state court for attempted murder after he stabbed author Salman Rushdie at a literary event in 2022. Matar delivered about 15 rapid knife blows to Rushdie’s face, neck, chest, abdomen and arm, leaving the writer blind in his right eye and with a permanently disabled hand. Prosecutors said Matar acted to fulfill the 1989 fatwa issued by Iran’s late founder Ruh Allah Khomeini, which called for Rushdie’s death. Matar’s father is reported to have ties to Lebanon’s Hezbollah and has been on the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations. The federal case could result in a life‑sentence, adding to the earlier state‑court term.