Salman Rushdie attacker convicted of federal terrorism charges, motivated by Iranian fatwa
Hadi Matar has been convicted of federal terrorism charges for stabbing author Salman Rushdie at a public event in western New York in 2022. Prosecutors said the attack was intended to carry out Iran’s longstanding fatwa against Rushdie over *The Satanic Verses*, underscoring the continuing reach of threats linked to the novel.
A jury found Matar, 28, guilty after only a few hours of deliberation, including on a charge of transnational terrorism. Rushdie was stabbed 15 times, lost sight in his right eye and suffered serious injuries; Matar is already serving 25 years for attempted murder and faces a possible life sentence when federally sentenced on 3 November.
- Rushdie’s attacker was convicted of federal terrorism offences.
- Prosecutors linked the attack to Iran’s 1989 fatwa.
- Matar already has a 25-year state prison sentence.