US Court Convicts Hadi Matar Of Federal Terrorism For Salman Rushdie Stabbing

A US jury convicted 28-year-old Hadi Matar on Wednesday for the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie. Jurors found Matar guilty of attempting to provide Hezbollah with material support, conducting terrorism across national borders and giving material backing to terrorists.

The stabbing occurred in New York, Matar targeted Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution in Mayville on August 12, 2022, to enforce a fatwa ordering the author's death over his 1988 novel 'Satanic Verses'.

US Attorney Michael DiGiacomo for the Western District of New York said to PTI: “Hadi Matar, who was born and raised in the United States, chose to align his values with the terroristic values of the leaders of Iran, which often promote violence, and in this case, the call for murder.”

DiGiacomo said to PTI that Matar spent months planning and preparing to carry out what he hoped would be the execution of Rushdie and possibly follow in the footsteps of martyrs he admired.

He added: “Instead, his attempted act of terror failed, and Salman Rushdie survived, thanks to courageous members of the public and law enforcement, who saved Rushdie and captured Matar.”

Ideology and Planning

Matar spent a year studying the fatwa, government evidence showed he verified if the religious decree remained active before discussing it with contacts in Iran, Australia and Canada. These conversations also focused on Hezbollah's endorsement of the order.

He also created videos about the fatwa with titles such as 'Rushdie_Fatwa 2.0' and 'Rushdie_Fatwa 1.6'. These combined videos about the fatwa with a 2006 video of Hassan Nasrallah endorsing it.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said to PTI: “Matar spent more than a year immersing himself in Hezbollah’s violent ideology and preparing to act on a fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollahs calling for Rushdie’s murder. His brutal attack on Rushdie during a peaceful speaking event is a chilling reminder of the global reach of Iranian terrorism. With today’s verdict, justice has been done, and Matar will pay for his crimes.”

Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division told PTI that the attack was preplanned and not an impulsive move.

“This was not an impulsive act; Matar conducted a violent attack in support of a designated foreign terrorist organisation and wanted to carry out a fatwa against the victim. With today’s verdict, this assailant will pay the price of engaging in terrorism. The FBI and our partners are committed to bringing terrorists and all who support them to justice,” he said.

Preparation and Execution

On the morning of the violence, he browsed the group's website to screenshot images of operatives who died in August.

He travelled to the Chautauqua Institution using a false driver’s licence under the alias 'Hassan Mughniyeh'.

The fake identity merged two prominent names. He took his first name from Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s secretary general. The surname belonged to Imad Mughniyeh, the former head of Hezbollah’s External Security Organisation who orchestrated multiple terror attacks.

Matar faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. US District Judge Richard J. Arcara, who oversaw the trial, will sentence him on November 3.

The FBI’s Buffalo Office investigated the case under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis, II. The New York State Police also investigated the case under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.