A federal jury in the Western District of New York has convicted Hadi Matar, the New Jersey man who attempted to murder writer Salman Rushdie on August 12, 2022, on additional terrorism-related charges. The jury found Matar guilty of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, engaging in an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, and providing material support to terrorists.

Background on the Attack

Hadi Matar, 24, of Fairview, New Jersey, rushed the stage at New York’s Chautauqua Institution in Mayville, New York, where Rushdie was speaking. Matar stabbed the India-born writer, leaving him with nerve damage and vision loss in his right eye. The audience members and security personnel subdued Matar and took him into police custody.

Prosecutors stated that Matar had spent more than a year researching the fatwa issued by Iran’s late spiritual leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, calling for Rushdie’s murder after the publication of his novel ‘The Satanic Verses.’ The fatwa was reaffirmed in 2017 by Khomeini’s successor, Ali Khamenei, and endorsed by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.

Investigation and Trial

Prosecutors said that Matar had surrounded himself with Hezbollah symbols before the attack and had traveled to the institution with a false driver’s license bearing the name Hassan Mughniyeh, with Hassan being Nasrallah’s first name and Mughniyeh being the surname of Hezbollah’s former external security organization head, Imad Mughniyeh.

During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Matar had spent months planning and preparing to carry out the attack, including researching the fatwa and discussing it with people in Iran, Australia, and Canada. Matar’s defense team argued that the attack was not premeditated and that Matar was motivated by a desire to defend Islam.

Verdict and Sentence

A federal jury in the Western District of New York delivered the verdict on July 26, 2023. The jury found Matar guilty of all charges, including attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, engaging in an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, and providing material support to terrorists. Matar faces a maximum penalty of life in prison on the most serious charge when sentenced on November 3, 2023.