Hadi Matar, 27, was found guilty of attempted murder after stabbing Rushdie multiple times on stage during a lecture, leaving the acclaimed novelist partially blind and severely injured.
Hadi Matar Receives 25-Year Sentence for Rushdie Stabbing
Hadi Matar Receives 25-Year Sentence for Rushdie Stabbing
A man convicted of brutally attacking author Salman Rushdie is sentenced to 25 years in prison.
In a dramatic courtroom scene, Judge responded with the maximum sentence as Matar's actions echoed a long history of threats faced by Rushdie due to his controversial work.
The sentencing of Hadi Matar concluded a high-profile case that garnered international attention. The 27-year-old New Jersey man was convicted of attempted murder and assault earlier this year for his vicious attack on renowned novelist Sir Salman Rushdie. On August 12, 2022, Matar lunged at Rushdie while the author was speaking at an event in New York, stabbing him 15 times in the face, neck, and chest.
As a result of the attack, Rushdie suffered significant physical injuries, including partial blindness in one eye, damage to his liver, and a permanently paralysed hand due to nerve damage. In addition to the 25-year prison sentence for attempted murder, Matar was also sentenced to seven years for wounding Henry Reese, the interviewer on stage at the time of the attack. Both sentences will run concurrently.
During the sentencing, Matar made a controversial statement in which he accused Rushdie of being a hypocrite regarding freedom of speech, echoing sentiments expressed in interviews comparing Rushdie to a "bully" for his literary works. Sir Salman was not present in the courtroom for the hearing.
Matar's conviction followed a gripping trial where Rushdie recounted his near-fatal experience, describing the terrifying moment he realized he was under attack. Prosecutors argued the attack was a targeted act against Rushdie, who has faced numerous threats since the publication of his novel, The Satanic Verses, in 1988— a work that sparked considerable outrage in parts of the Islamic community and led to a fatwa calling for his assassination.
Despite previously believing that threats against him had diminished, the attack served as a chilling reminder of the risks Rushdie continues to face. He later documented his recovery and reflections in a memoir titled "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder."
The sentencing of Hadi Matar concluded a high-profile case that garnered international attention. The 27-year-old New Jersey man was convicted of attempted murder and assault earlier this year for his vicious attack on renowned novelist Sir Salman Rushdie. On August 12, 2022, Matar lunged at Rushdie while the author was speaking at an event in New York, stabbing him 15 times in the face, neck, and chest.
As a result of the attack, Rushdie suffered significant physical injuries, including partial blindness in one eye, damage to his liver, and a permanently paralysed hand due to nerve damage. In addition to the 25-year prison sentence for attempted murder, Matar was also sentenced to seven years for wounding Henry Reese, the interviewer on stage at the time of the attack. Both sentences will run concurrently.
During the sentencing, Matar made a controversial statement in which he accused Rushdie of being a hypocrite regarding freedom of speech, echoing sentiments expressed in interviews comparing Rushdie to a "bully" for his literary works. Sir Salman was not present in the courtroom for the hearing.
Matar's conviction followed a gripping trial where Rushdie recounted his near-fatal experience, describing the terrifying moment he realized he was under attack. Prosecutors argued the attack was a targeted act against Rushdie, who has faced numerous threats since the publication of his novel, The Satanic Verses, in 1988— a work that sparked considerable outrage in parts of the Islamic community and led to a fatwa calling for his assassination.
Despite previously believing that threats against him had diminished, the attack served as a chilling reminder of the risks Rushdie continues to face. He later documented his recovery and reflections in a memoir titled "Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder."
