Hadi Matar
The man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie at Chautauqua Institution has been convicted in Federal Court on terrorism charges.
28-year old Hadi Matar has been found guilty of attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization, engaging in an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, and providing material support to terrorists.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York Michael DiGiacomo said “Hadi Matar, who was born and raised in the United States, chose to align his values with the terroristic values of the leaders of Iran, which often promote violence, and in this case, the call for murder.” He added, “The defendant spent months planning and preparing to carry out what he hoped would be the execution of Salman Rushdie and possibly follow in the footsteps of martyrs he admired. Instead, his attempted act of terror failed, and Salman Rushdie survived, thanks to courageous members of the public and law enforcement, who saved Rushdie and captured Matar.”
On August 12, 2022, Matar attempted to murder Rushdie in an effort to carry out a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s execution because of a novel published by Rushdie in 1988. That fatwa was issued in 1989 and reaffirmed in 2017 by the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei.
Matar faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on November 3, 2026.
He was sentenced in Chautauqua County Court on February 21, 2025 after being found guilty of attempted murder and assault. Matar is currently serving 25 years for attempted murder and seven years for injuring another person.
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