Man who stabbed Salman Rushdie gets 25 years in prison

Published: Friday, May 16, 2025 at 3:06 pm

Man Who Stabbed Salman Rushdie Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

Hadi Matar, the man who brutally attacked author Salman Rushdie in 2022, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. The sentencing, handed down on Friday, follows Matar's February conviction on charges of attempted murder and assault. The attack, which occurred on a lecture stage in Chautauqua, New York, left Rushdie, author of "Midnight's Children" and "The Satanic Verses," blind in one eye.

During the trial, Rushdie, 77, testified about the harrowing experience, describing how he believed he was dying as Matar, then 27, repeatedly stabbed him. Matar also received a concurrent seven-year sentence for wounding a man who was on stage with Rushdie.

District Attorney Jason Schmidt emphasized the premeditated nature of the attack, stating Matar "chose this" and designed it to inflict maximum damage. Matar, who had a previously clean record, made a statement about freedom of speech during the sentencing, calling Rushdie a hypocrite.

Authorities believe Matar, a U.S. citizen, was motivated by a decades-old fatwa, or religious edict, issued in 1989 by Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, calling for Rushdie's death due to his novel "The Satanic Verses." The fatwa was allegedly backed by the militant group Hezbollah.

Rushdie, who detailed his recovery in his 2024 memoir "Knife," was not present at the sentencing but submitted a victim impact statement. Matar now faces a federal trial on terrorism-related charges, which is expected to delve into the motive behind the attack. The attack was captured on video, showing Matar approaching Rushdie and repeatedly stabbing him.

Keywords: Salman Rushdie, Hadi Matar, stabbing, sentence, prison, attempted murder, assault, Chautauqua Institution, The Satanic Verses, fatwa, Hezbollah, terrorism, New York, author, Midnight's Children, Knife, freedom of speech, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

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