Hadi Matar was convicted in a New York federal court on Wednesday of engaging in transnational terrorism and providing material support to Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed faction designated as a terrorist organization by the US and numerous other countries. The conviction represents additional charges beyond the 25-year prison sentence Matar is already serving following a state court conviction for attempted murder.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Matar’s attack on the award-winning author was motivated by a religious edict issued by Iran’s religious leader in 1989 calling for Rushdie’s death. They argued that a 2006 speech by a then-leader of Hezbollah reinvigorated the call to enforce the fatwa, and that Matar spent approximately two years planning the attack. Prosecutors contended that Matar believed no one else would carry out the threat and felt compelled to do so himself.
During testimony, Rushdie described being stabbed 15 times in various locations on his body and credited a firefighter with saving his life through immediate medical intervention. He detailed the severity of his injuries, noting that one wound to his eye came within millimeters of his brain and has left him partially blinded. The author lifted his darkened glasses to show the jury the extent of the eye injury sustained in the attack.
Defense attorneys argued that Matar’s actions were not motivated by terrorism and questioned whether Rushdie should have anticipated hostile reactions to his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, which drew controversy for its treatment of religious themes. Rushdie maintained that his work should not be subject to scrutiny in the context of the criminal charges. The conviction could result in a life sentence, adding to Matar’s existing 25-year term.
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