Overview
- A federal jury in Buffalo found Hadi Matar guilty on Wednesday of all terrorism counts related to the August 12, 2022, stabbing of author Salman Rushdie.
- The convictions include attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah, engaging in transnational terrorism, and providing material support to terrorists.
- Prosecutors relied on digital messages, videos referencing the fatwa, photos and clothing with Hezbollah symbols, use of an alias and a fake ID, and travel to the Chautauqua event to show planning and ideological motive.
- Matar, who was not called to testify, is already serving a 25-year New York state sentence for attempted murder and faces federal sentencing on November 3, when he could receive a life term; his defense said he acted alone and denied coordination with Iran or Hezbollah.
- The trial featured testimony from Rushdie about his injuries and recovery, and the verdict underscores the long reach of the 1989 fatwa and the legal approach to attacks tied to transnational extremist ideology.