Sat Feb 22 09:05:19 UTC 2025: ## Rushdie Attacker Found Guilty of Attempted Murder

**Chautauqua, NY** – Hadi Matar, the man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie at a literary event in August 2022, was found guilty on Friday of attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the second degree. The jury delivered the verdict after a seven-day trial that included graphic video footage of the attack.

Rushdie, 77, suffered severe injuries, including a damaged liver and severed nerves in his arm, and lost sight in one eye. The attack took place at the Chautauqua Institution as Rushdie was being introduced for a discussion on protecting writers. Matar, 27, rushed the stage and stabbed Rushdie multiple times. Henry Reese, co-founder of City of Asylum, who was moderating the event, was also injured in the attack.

Matar’s defense attorney, Nathaniel Barone, stated that his client was disappointed with the verdict and suggested the video evidence heavily influenced the jury’s decision. As he was led from the courtroom, Matar shouted “Free Palestine,” a phrase he has repeated throughout the trial.

Matar faces up to 25 years in prison at his sentencing on April 23rd. He also faces separate federal charges of attempted murder and providing material support to Hezbollah, which are to be tried in Buffalo. These charges stem from the accusation that the attack was an act of terrorism motivated by the 1988 publication of Rushdie’s novel *The Satanic Verses*, which prompted a fatwa from Ayatollah Khomeini. Matar reportedly told the *New York Post* he attacked Rushdie because he believed the author had insulted Islam.

Read More