Hadi Matar was found guilty by a federal jury in New York of providing support to Hezbollah and committing acts of transnational terrorism. Prosecutors claimed he planned the attack for over two years, driven by an Iranian fatwa from 1989 and a 2006 speech by a top Hezbollah leader. Court evidence included videos and statements from Matar, who openly expressed support for the group. These materials were part of the prosecution's case, aiming to link his actions directly to terrorist intent and ideology.
Rushdie Testified From the Witness Stand
During the trial, Sir Salman Rushdie, who was stabbed 15 times during the attack, took the stand to describe the brutality of the event. Rushdie, now partially blind due to an injury near his eye, recounted how he was struck in the face, chest, eye, neck, and thigh. He described the horrifying moment when he found himself lying on a stage surrounded by his own blood. His detailed account of the assault gave the court a vivid picture of the violence and danger he faced.
Rushdie told the court, “I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me.” He added that the amount of blood was so vast it felt like “an enormous and expansive lake.” Rushdie also showed the scar in his eye, which left him with significant vision loss, and said the attacker's knife came “within millimetres from my brain.” His testimony aimed to highlight the severity of the incident and the attacker's intent.
Matar’s defense argued that his actions were not rooted in terrorism and instead focused on challenging the background of the case. Defense attorneys questioned Rushdie about the role of his 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses, in inciting the attack. The book, which some Muslims viewed as deeply offensive and even blasphemous, led to years of threats against Rushdie. A fatwa was issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader for his death after the novel's publication. In response to this line of questioning, Rushdie stated, “I don't believe the book is on trial. Somebody else is on trial.”
The verdict could lead to Matar receiving a life sentence in federal prison. Rushdie, who is now 75, has written extensively about his experience in his memoir, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder. The book details his long journey toward recovery and his reflections on the attack. Recently, he published The Eleventh Hour, his first new work of fiction in recent years. Rushdie continues to reflect on his ordeal, using his voice to speak out about freedom of expression and the consequences of hate.
Matar, 28, was already serving a 25-year prison sentence for the attack. A New York jury found him guilty on all charges, including attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah in Lebanon, after two hours of deliberation. Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John Eisenberg, stated that Matar’s attack was “a chilling reminder of the global reach of Iranian terrorism.” Iran has denied any involvement in the attack. During the trial, Rushdie testified for nearly an hour and was asked if he believed Matar was motivated by the fatwa. He responded, “I had no knowledge of that. I have my suspicions,” according to US media. Matar traveled to the attack site using the name “Hassan Mughniyeh,” combining the name of Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah with the surname of Imad Mughniyeh, the former head of Hizballah’s External Security Organization. On the morning of the attack, Matar visited a Hizballah-run website and took screenshots of images of Hizballah martyrs who had died in August. He spent more than a year researching the fatwa’s continuing validity and discussed it, along with Hizballah’s endorsement, with individuals in Iran, Australia, and Canada. He also created videos combining material about the fatwa with footage of Nasrallah endorsing it in 2006.
