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

A New York State judge has sentenced Hadi Matar, 27, to 25 years in prison—the maximum possible—for the 2022 stabbing of internationally renowned author Salman Rushdie. Matar was convicted in February on charges of attempted murder and assault, following a violent attack that left Rushdie, now 77, blind in one eye and struggling with lasting physical injuries.

The assault occurred as Rushdie prepared to speak at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York. In front of a packed audience, Matar rushed the stage, stabbing the Booker Prize-winning writer multiple times. Rushdie was airlifted to a Pennsylvania hospital, where he remained for nearly three weeks while being treated for wounds to his arm, liver, and right eye.

Rushdie’s 1988 novel, "The Satanic Verses," sparked controversy and protests worldwide, eventually leading to Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issuing a fatwa calling for his death. The specter of that decree has loomed for decades, even though Iranian authorities have since pledged not to encourage attempts on Rushdie's life. Nevertheless, according to international reports, a multi-million-dollar bounty remained active at the time of the stabbing.

Matar also received a concurrent seven-year sentence for stabbing another man who was present onstage during the assault. Prosecutors argued that Matar’s actions were premeditated and motivated by a desire to silence Rushdie, whose writings have long provoked anger among religious hardliners.

During the sentencing, Matar addressed the court, defending his actions. "He wants to disrespect other people," he said, referring to Rushdie. "He wants to be a bully, he wants to bully other people. I don’t agree with that." Matar, a New Jersey resident, maintains his innocence regarding federal terrorism charges still pending against him, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

Rushdie has spoken publicly about the ordeal, describing the seconds before the attack in an interview earlier this year. "I saw the man in black running towards me, down the right-hand side of the seating area: Black clothes, black face mask – he was coming in hard and low, a squat missile," Rushdie recounted. He called the act a haunting reminder of threats from his past, adding, "It felt like something coming out of the distant past and trying to drag me back in time… back into that distant past in order to kill me."

Federal investigations continue into alleged connections between the attack and international actors. Authorities have stressed the seriousness of threats faced by outspoken authors and journalists around the world—an issue highlighted by ongoing trials concerning assassination plots and foreign interference.