Salman Rushdie Attacker Hadi Matar Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Attempted Murder
Hadi Matar, the man who brutally attacked author Salman Rushdie in 2022, was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison for attempted murder under New York state law. Matar, 27, also received a concurrent seven-year sentence for assault, following his conviction in February.
Judge David Foley handed down the sentence at a court in Mayville, near the Chautauqua Institution where the attack occurred. Matar showed no remorse during the hearing, claiming Rushdie “wants to be a bully,” and delivering a confused statement referencing freedom of speech and religion.
Rushdie, 76, was stabbed multiple times on stage before a lecture in August 2022, losing vision in his right eye. The attack also injured Henry Reese, co-founder of a sanctuary program for persecuted writers. Rushdie later recounted the traumatic incident in his 2024 memoir, Knife.
The attack has deep roots in a 1989 fatwa by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, who condemned Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses as blasphemous, prompting years of threats and forced hiding.
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt welcomed the sentence, calling it appropriate in light of Matar’s “twisted sense of justice.” Matar’s lawyer, Nathaniel Barone, said he planned to appeal.
Matar also faces separate federal terrorism charges, accused of acting on behalf of Hezbollah. The federal case is expected to proceed to trial in 2026.
You Might Also Like:
Al-Ayyala Dance Sparks Backlash During Trump’s UAE Visit
Taliban’s Ibrahim Sadr in Delhi Secret Visit Amid India-Pakistan Tensions
New COVID-19 Wave Hits Hong Kong, Singapore as Cases Surge Across Asia
