Hadi Matar Sentenced for Rushdie Attack, Faces More Charges

Hadi Matar, 27, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder of author Salman Rushdie, whom he stabbed multiple times on stage at a New York literary event in August 2022, leaving Rushdie blind in one eye and with permanent injuries. Matar also injured event moderator Henry Reese, for which he received a concurrent seven-year sentence for assault. Prosecutors argued that Matar intended to harm not only Rushdie but also the attending community. The attack was motivated by a decades-old fatwa and allegedly inspired by Hezbollah's endorsement. Matar now faces federal charges for terrorism and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, with a separate trial expected. Rushdie recounted his ordeal and recovery in his memoir, 'Knife,' published in 2024.