Overview

• A New York jury found Hadi Matar guilty of attempted murder and assault for the August 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution.
• The attack, carried out with a 10-inch knife, caused severe injuries, including permanent blindness in Rushdie's right eye, damage to his liver, and nerve damage in his hands.
• The jury deliberated for less than two hours before reaching the verdict, and Matar now faces up to 25 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for April 23.
• Prosecutors highlighted the targeted nature of the attack, while Matar's defense argued that intent to kill was not proven; the jury rejected this argument.
• A separate federal terrorism case alleges that Matar was motivated by a 2006 Hezbollah endorsement of the 1989 fatwa issued by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini against Rushdie.