Man Who Stabbed Author Salman Rushdie on Stage Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

MAYVILLE, N.Y. — The man who brutally attacked acclaimed author Salman Rushdie during a public event in 2022 has been sentenced to 25 years behind bars.

Hadi Matar, 27, quietly listened as the judge handed down the sentence Friday for the stabbing that left Rushdie blind in one eye and seriously injured. Matar did not deny the attack, and in a final court statement, he called Rushdie “a hypocrite” while claiming to support freedom of speech.

“Salman Rushdie wants to disrespect other people,” Matar said, wearing white-striped jail clothes and handcuffs. “He wants to be a bully.”

Rushdie, 77, did not attend the sentencing in western New York but shared a victim impact statement describing how the attack still haunts him with nightmares, according to Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt. The statement was not released publicly.

A Violent Assault Caught on Camera

During the trial, Rushdie recounted the terrifying moment when a masked assailant stabbed him multiple times as he was introduced at the Chautauqua Institution, a summer retreat known for fostering open dialogue and free speech.

Security footage played at trial showed Matar approach Rushdie from behind, repeatedly stabbing him in the torso. Despite his injuries, Rushdie fought back, staggering as the attacker continued until bystanders intervened.

After less than two hours of deliberation, a jury found Matar guilty of attempted murder and assault in February.

Judge Highlights the Attack on Free Speech

Judge David Foley emphasized the symbolic nature of the attack, noting that Matar chose to strike at a place celebrated for the free exchange of ideas.

“We all have the right to carry our ideals,” Foley said. “But interfering with someone else’s ability to do that through violence is a crime that must be punished.”

Matar also received a concurrent seven-year sentence for injuring another man who was on stage with Rushdie.

Rushdie’s Long Road to Recovery

Following the attack, Rushdie spent more than two weeks hospitalized and weeks more in rehabilitation. He detailed his recovery journey in his 2024 memoir, Knife.

Sentencing and Next Steps

Matar’s defense attorney asked for a lighter sentence, citing his client’s clean criminal record. But the prosecution called for the full 25 years, arguing the attack was carefully planned to cause maximum harm — not just to Rushdie, but to the hundreds watching.

Matar now faces a separate federal terrorism trial, where prosecutors will examine his motives. He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

The Fatwa Behind the Attack

Authorities say Matar acted to enforce a decades-old fatwa, or religious edict, calling for Rushdie’s death. The fatwa was issued in 1989 by Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini after the publication of Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses, which many Muslims considered blasphemous.

Matar, a U.S. citizen from New Jersey, reportedly believed the fatwa was supported by Hezbollah and its leader Hassan Nasrallah.

Rushdie spent years in hiding following the fatwa but has traveled freely for more than 25 years since Iran said it would no longer enforce the death order.