Hadi Matar convicted of attempted murder for Salman Rushdie stabbing

Hadi Matar, a 27-year-old from New Jersey, was found guilty of attempted murder for the brutal stabbing of author Salman Rushdie during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution on August 12, 2022. The jury convicted Matar after less than two hours of deliberation, also finding him guilty of assault for injuring another man on stage. Rushdie, now 77, suffered life-altering injuries, including the loss of sight in one eye and damage to his hand and liver. Matar faces a potential sentence of up to 25 years when he is sentenced on April 23, 2024. During the trial, Rushdie recounted the harrowing experience, expressing his belief that he was dying during the attack. Matar's defense argued that prosecutors failed to prove intent to kill, but the prosecution highlighted the unprovoked and targeted nature of the assault.