Salman Rushdie attacker found guilty of attempted murder and assault charges

New York: An American-Lebanese man, Hadi Matar, was convicted on Friday of attempting to kill British-American novelist Salman Rushdie. Matar stormed the stage at a literary event in 2022, stabbing Rushdie multiple times in an attack linked to Iran’s 1989 fatwa against the author.

The court found Matar guilty of attempted murder and assault charges, with sentencing scheduled for April. He faces up to 25 years in prison.

Rushdie describes brutal attack in court
Rushdie testified that Matar "stabbed and slashed" him during the event in rural New York. "It was a stab wound in my eye, intensely painful," he recalled, adding that he was left in a "lake of blood."

The author, now 77, recounted the moment he believed he was dying before being airlifted to a hospital. His injuries included a severed optical nerve, paralysis in one hand, and severe wounds to his throat, liver, and intestines.

Matar’s pro-Palestinian slogans and defence arguments
During the trial, Matar’s defence sought to prevent witnesses from portraying Rushdie as a victim of religious persecution. The accused, from New Jersey, had previously admitted to reading only two pages of The Satanic Verses but believed the book insulted Islam.

He repeatedly shouted pro-Palestinian slogans during proceedings.

Attack linked to decades-old controversy
Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses, published in 1988, led to violent backlash, including book burnings and the assassination of his Japanese translator. The novel was deemed blasphemous by Iran, which issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s killing.

Rushdie lived under heavy security in London for a decade before relocating to New York, where he lived more openly until the 2022 attack. He later published Knife, a memoir detailing the near-fatal assault.

Witnesses recall moment of attack
Jordan Steves, a venue employee, described tackling Matar to help restrain him. "I launched myself with as much force as I could manage," he told the court, later identifying Matar in the courtroom.

Prosecutors revealed that Matar stabbed Rushdie about 10 times using a six-inch blade. Jurors deliberated for less than two hours before delivering the guilty verdict.

Iran denies involvement, US pursues terrorism charges
The FBI has linked the attack to Iran-backed Hezbollah, though Iran has denied any connection, insisting Rushdie himself was responsible for the incident. Matar also faces separate federal terrorism charges in the US.

With AFP inputs