Hadi Matar Convicted of Federal Terrorism Charges for 2022 Rushdie Stabbing

Hadi Matar, who stabbed author Salman Rushdie at a 2022 literary conference, has been convicted on federal terrorism charges.

Hadi Matar now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison after a federal jury found him guilty of providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization — charges stemming from his stabbing of author Salman Rushdie in August 2022. Matar attacked Rushdie repeatedly at a literary conference in western New York, in one of the most dramatic acts of political violence against a writer in modern history. Rushdie, who has lived under threat since Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his death following the 1988 publication of 'The Satanic Verses,' was seriously wounded in the attack and lost sight in one eye. Matar had already been convicted in a New York state court on attempted murder and assault charges before this separate federal terrorism prosecution concluded.

Why it matters

The federal terrorism conviction — rather than simply a violent crime verdict — establishes a formal legal link between the attack and a foreign terror organization, setting a significant precedent for prosecuting ideologically motivated lone attackers. Rushdie's case has been a landmark test of how Western nations protect artists and writers living under foreign-government-sanctioned death threats.

What's next

Matar now awaits federal sentencing, where he could receive a sentence that keeps him imprisoned for life.

Key facts

• Hadi Matar was convicted of aiding a foreign terrorist organization in federal court
• Matar stabbed Salman Rushdie repeatedly at a literary conference in 2022
• Rushdie lost sight in one eye as a result of the attack
• Matar had previously been convicted in New York state court on attempted murder and assault charges
• Rushdie has lived under threat since a 1989 fatwa issued by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini over his novel 'The Satanic Verses'
• The federal conviction carries a potential sentence of life in prison

Bias & framing notes

Coverage across the AP, The Guardian, and The New York Times is consistent on the core verdict and its terrorism framing. The available source text is brief and does not include Matar's defense arguments or any stated rationale from his legal team, leaving the story somewhat one-sided by the nature of the reporting provided. No source surfaces Matar's stated motivations or defense position in detail.

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