A 28-year-old man named Hadi Matar has been found guilty by a jury of federal terrorism charges related to the stabbing incident involving author Salman Rushdie in 2022. Matar, who is already serving a 25-year prison term in New York for attempted murder in the same year, was convicted of engaging in an act of transnational terrorism. The federal conviction carries a potential life sentence.
Salman Rushdie, known for facing a long-standing death threat due to one of his books, was attacked in August 2022 while preparing to discuss writers’ safety. During the incident, he was viciously slashed 15 times in front of a shocked audience, resulting in severe injuries, including the loss of sight in one eye. Rushdie recounted the harrowing experience in 2025, describing how he was repeatedly stabbed by a masked assailant on stage. He testified that he mistook the attacker’s intentions at first, only realizing the severity of the situation upon seeing blood on his own clothing.
Reflecting on the traumatic event, Rushdie recalled lying in a pool of blood on the stage, feeling immense pain and disbelief. He expressed that at that moment, his primary thought was the realization that he might be dying. Despite the attack, Rushdie remains a prominent figure in the literary world, with his story serving as a stark reminder of the threats faced by writers globally.
