Overview

• Hadi Matar, 27, was sentenced to 25 years in state prison for the attempted murder of Salman Rushdie and seven years concurrently for injuring another man during the 2022 attack.
• The stabbing occurred at the Chautauqua Institution in New York as Rushdie was about to speak on writer safety, leaving the author with severe injuries, including blindness in one eye.
• Rushdie testified during the trial, recounting the harrowing moment he believed he was dying after being stabbed over a dozen times.
• Prosecutors argued the attack was premeditated and designed to cause maximum harm, while Matar's defense sought a reduced sentence citing his clean criminal record.
• Matar now awaits a federal trial on terrorism-related charges, with prosecutors alleging his actions were motivated by a fatwa endorsed by Hezbollah.