A 28-year-old man named Hadi Matar has been found guilty by a jury of federal terrorism charges related to the stabbing incident involving author Salman Rushdie in 2022. The charges against Matar include engaging in an act of transnational terrorism. Matar is currently serving a 25-year prison term in New York for attempted murder in connection to an attack on an amphitheater stage in August 2022.
The recent federal conviction carries a potential life sentence for Matar. Salman Rushdie, known for facing a long-standing death threat due to one of his books, was severely injured in the August 2022 incident. Rushdie was assaulted with a knife, sustaining 15 slashes while preparing to discuss writers’ safety, resulting in the loss of vision in his right eye.
In 2025, Rushdie recounted the harrowing attack where he was repeatedly stabbed by a masked assailant on stage. He mentioned mistaking the attacker’s intentions initially as he thought he was going to be punched. Rushdie described the attacker wearing dark clothes and a black face mask, with fierce eyes that caught his attention. It was only after noticing blood on his own clothes that Rushdie realized the assailant was armed with a knife.
The attack left Rushdie in a pool of blood on the stage, causing immense pain and shock. Rushdie testified to feeling like he was on the brink of death during the incident.
