Hadi Matar, the attacker who stabbed author Salman Rushdie in August 2022—blinding him in one eye—has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, a local prosecutor said Friday.
Judge David Foley, who presided over the case in Mayville, New York, handed down the attempted murder sentence. Matar, 27, was also convicted of a similar charge under New York state law earlier this year and was handed a concurrent seven-year sentence. He also has individual federal terrorism charges against him.
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt was satisfied with the sentencing outcome. The defense lawyer for Matar, Nathaniel Barone, stated they would appeal.
Matar stabbed Rushdie during a public event being held at the Chautauqua Institution. Rushdie, who had been living under constant fear since Iran's 1989 fatwa by Ayatollah Khomeini on his book The Satanic Verses, was stabbed numerous times and lost the sight in his right eye. Writer advocate Henry Reese, who was also present at the event, was hurt.
In a judge's court, Matar made a rambling statement indicting Rushdie of the charge of being a "bully," citing freedom of speech and religion in a self-defeating manner. Schmidt captured the irony of Matar ordering his own idea of justice upon others.
Barone cited Matar's strong feelings about his Muslim religion but described how many among the Shia Muslim community condemned the attack.
Federal terrorism charges allege Matar did the work of Hezbollah, a regime-sponsored organization. The stabbing was described as an act of terrorism by Attorney General Merrick Garland. A federal trial will begin next year early, after a July hearing.
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