Overview
- Hadi Matar, a 27-year-old from New Jersey, was convicted of attempted murder and assault by a jury in New York State for his 2022 attack on Salman Rushdie.
- During a public event in Chautauqua, New York, Matar stabbed Rushdie over a dozen times, causing severe injuries, including blindness in one eye.
- The sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 23, with Matar potentially facing up to 32 years in prison.
- Rushdie testified during the trial, recounting the attack and its lasting physical and emotional impact, which he also detailed in his 2024 book 'Knife: Thoughts After an Attempted Murder.'
- The attack has been linked to longstanding threats against Rushdie following the 1989 fatwa issued by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini over his novel 'The Satanic Verses.'