A New Jersey jury convicted Hadi Matar of second-degree attempted murder Friday for the brutal 2022 Salman Rushdie stabbing at New York’s Chautauqua Institution. The two-hour deliberation capped a trial featuring gruesome video evidence and graphic testimony about the author’s near-fatal injuries.
Prosecutors showed jurors slowed footage of Matar sprinting toward Rushdie during an August 12 literary event, describing 10-15 targeted strikes to the face and neck. Death was a foreseeable outcome, argued District Attorney Jason Schmidt. A trauma surgeon confirmed Rushdie required emergency surgery to survive.
The defense contended Matar’s actions lacked clear intent to kill, claiming in closing arguments:
- Knives were used instead of deadlier weapons
- No vital organs were pierced
- Celebrity status influenced charges
Rushdie, testifying via video link, recalled his attacker’s ferocious expression and the chilling realization:
It occurred to me that I was dying. That was my predominant thought.
Event moderator Henry Reese described initially mistaking the assault for a prank before intercepting Matar. Bystanders ultimately restrained the attacker onstage.
Matar faces separate federal terrorism charges alleging Hezbollah ties, including:
- Providing material support to terrorists
- Act of terrorism transcending borders
The convicted assailant rejected a plea deal before trial and declined to testify. Sentencing coincides with Rushdie’s memoir Knife chronicling the attack that left him blind in one eye.