Key Points
- Hadi Matar, 27, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the 2022 knife attack on author Salman Rushdie, which left Rushdie blind in one eye.
- The attack was motivated by a decades-old fatwa against Rushdie, with evidence linking Matar to Hezbollah influence.
- Matar was also sentenced to seven years for injuring event moderator Henry Reese; both sentences will run concurrently.
- Rushdie described the attack as a near-death experience and continues to suffer from lasting physical and psychological effects.
- Matar faces additional federal terrorism charges that could lead to a life sentence.
Washington D.C : Hadi Matar, the man who stabbed acclaimed author Salman Rushdie on stage in August 2022, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison-the maximum penalty allowed for attempted murder. The sentencing, delivered in a New York courtroom on May 16, 2025, concludes a high-profile trial that has reignited global conversations about free speech and the persistent dangers faced by outspoken writers.
The Attack: A Chilling Scene
The attack occurred at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York, where Rushdie, then 75, was about to speak on writer safety. Matar, then 24, rushed the stage and stabbed Rushdie approximately 15 times in the head, neck, torso, and hand, leaving the Booker Prize-winning author blind in one eye and causing nerve damage and partial paralysis in his hand. Event moderator Henry Reese was also wounded in the attack.
Rushdie later testified about the harrowing ordeal, recalling, “I became aware of a great quantity of blood I was lying in. My sense of time was quite cloudy, I was in pain from my eye and hand, and it occurred to me quite clearly I was dying”. Rushdie spent weeks in hospital and rehabilitation, and the trauma continues to impact his daily life.
Motive and Ideology: Decades-Old Fatwa and Terror Links
Investigators and prosecutors revealed that Matar was motivated by the 1989 fatwa issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini, which called for Rushdie’s death after the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses, considered blasphemous by some Muslims. Evidence presented in court and in federal indictments linked Matar to Hezbollah influence, including a 2006 speech by Hezbollah’s leader endorsing the fatwa. Matar, a U.S.-Lebanese dual national, had shown signs of radicalization after a trip to Lebanon and expressed support for extremist groups on social media.
Courtroom Drama: No Remorse, Maximum Sentence
During sentencing, Matar addressed the court but showed no remorse, instead calling Rushdie a “hypocrite” and “bully” over issues of free speech. The judge, citing the premeditated and ideological nature of the attack, handed down the maximum sentence-25 years for attempted murder and seven years for assault on Reese, to be served concurrently. Prosecutors emphasized the trauma experienced by the 1,400-member audience who witnessed the assault.
Matar’s defense argued for leniency, citing his lack of a criminal record, but the court rejected these pleas, underscoring the attack’s impact not just on Rushdie, but on freedom of expression worldwide.
What’s Next: Federal Terrorism Charges Await
While this state trial focused on the stabbing itself, Matar still faces federal terrorism charges, including providing material support to Hezbollah and terrorism transcending national boundaries. A conviction in the upcoming federal case could result in a life sentence.
A Global Symbol
Salman Rushdie, now 77, has become a symbol of resilience in the face of violent censorship. The attack and its aftermath serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing threats to free expression and the enduring consequences of ideological violence.
“This is clearly a significant setback for someone who was beginning to reintegrate into society in his later years after living in hiding due to the fatwa,” said Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt.
Rushdie’s ordeal, and the court’s decisive response, have once again placed the defense of artistic and intellectual freedom at the center of global attention.
