Jersey Hadi Matar, who stabbed Salman Rushdie, sentenced to 25 years in prison

A court in Chautauqua County, New York, has sentenced Jersey Hadi Matar for attempting to assassinate world-renowned British author Salman Rushdie. The 27-year-old Matar received a 25-year prison sentence. This was reported by The Guardian.

The trial began on February 10 and on February 21 the jury found him guilty of attempted murder.

Arguments from the defense and prosecution

Matar’s attorney, Andrew Brotigan, argued that his client did not intend to kill Rushdie and that there was insufficient evidence to prove otherwise. According to him, the stabs were not aimed at the heart and were delivered to the face and neck — not to vital organs.

The prosecution, however, stated that 10–15 knife wounds inflicted by Matar could easily have resulted in death, classifying the act as attempted murder.

Background of the attack: book and fatwa

To recall, in August 2022, during a planned lecture at the Chautauqua Institution, Matar ran onto the stage and attacked Rushdie. The author was expected to speak on asylum for persecuted writers, but before the event started, Matar stabbed him 15 times. As a result, Rushdie lost his right eye and suffered serious injuries.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Matar was acting on a fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini calling for Rushdie’s death. The fatwa was a response to the novel The Satanic Verses, which sparked outrage in Muslim communities during the 1980s.

Who is Hadi Matar?

Jersey Hadi Matar was born in the U.S. to Lebanese immigrant parents. He lived in New Jersey and worked in a clothing store. According to his mother, he had recently distanced himself from the family and lived a socially isolated life.

Who is Salman Rushdie?

Salman Rushdie is a British writer who gained U.S. citizenship in 2016. He won the Booker Prize in 1981 for Midnight’s Children. His controversial novel The Satanic Verses earned him global recognition but also severe backlash and death threats, especially in Iran, where a fatwa was issued against him.

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