A New Jersey man, Hadi Matar, has been convicted of attempted murder and assault for his brutal attack on renowned author Salman Rushdie. The 2022 incident, which took place on a lecture stage in New York, left Rushdie with severe injuries, including vision loss in one eye, liver damage, and a paralyzed hand. The jury in Chautauqua County Court delivered the guilty verdict after a two-week trial, where Matar was also found guilty of assaulting interviewer Henry Reese. Matar now faces a sentence of over 30 years in prison, along with separate federal terrorism-related charges linked to Hezbollah.

During his testimony, Rushdie recalled the terrifying moment when he saw Matar rushing towards him with dark, intense eyes. Initially believing he had been punched, he soon realized he had been stabbed 15 times across his face, neck, torso, and thigh. The attack occurred decades after the publication of The Satanic Verses, which led to widespread outrage and a fatwa against Rushdie by Iran’s Supreme Leader. Prosecutors emphasized the targeted nature of the attack, showing slow-motion footage to the jury to highlight Matar’s deliberate actions.

Matar pleaded not guilty, with his defense lawyer arguing that there was no clear intent to kill Rushdie. However, prosecutors countered with evidence linking Matar to extremist views, including an interview where he praised Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini and admitted to reading only a few pages of The Satanic Verses. His sentencing is scheduled for April 23, and he remains under federal investigation for allegedly providing material support to Hezbollah, a group classified as a terrorist organization by multiple nations.