This is a federal criminal case prosecuting Hadi Matar, who stabbed writer Salman Rushdie on stage in 2022, with far more serious charges than the earlier state case: transnational terrorism. Matar, 28, is serving a 25-year sentence in New York for attempted murder, but federal prosecutors argue that his actions were not merely a personal assault but a politically and religiously motivated terrorist act — if convicted, Matar could face life imprisonment.
Rushdie, 79, testified at federal court in Buffalo on Thursday, recounting the moment of the attack on stage at a Chautauqua Institution venue where he had been preparing to speak about threats facing writers and artists. He described the sensation of being punched in the chin before realizing blood was flowing from his neck, and said the knife blade came within a millimeter of his brain. The attack left Rushdie blind in one eye, with liver damage, and severed a nerve in his hand, at times requiring a ventilator to sustain his life.
Federal prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch, presented the jury with video footage of the attack, showing Matar striking repeatedly as Rushdie fell backward. According to testimony given on July 23, 2026, as noted by KSAT, Rushdie's testimony was the centerpiece of the ongoing trial.
The blade came just one millimeter from his brain—Rushdie recounted the moment he nearly lost his life on stage.
Why does the case reference a religious decree from 1989?
Prosecutors argue that Matar was driven by the fatwa (Islamic religious decree) issued by Iranian Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, calling for Rushdie's death because his novel "The Satanic Verses" contained a dream sequence about the prophet Muhammad that some Muslims viewed as blasphemous. This fatwa forced Rushdie to live in hiding in London for a decade, though the Iranian government had publicly distanced itself from the decree since 1998 — but has never formally revoked it. According to prosecutors, Matar was also influenced by statements made in 2006 by deceased Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah relating to Rushdie and the fatwa.
Matar is a U.S. citizen born in America but also holds Lebanese citizenship. His mother reported that a trip to Lebanon in 2018 caused her son to become withdrawn and reclusive. Prosecutors say Matar spent years researching Rushdie's whereabouts before carrying out the attack. Investigators also found images related to Hezbollah in Matar's bedroom and electronic devices.
Background: is this the first time something like this has happened?
As an individual case, this is not the first time Matar has been prosecuted for the same act — he was sentenced to 25 years by New York state court for attempted murder related to the 2022 stabbing. However, for someone already imprisoned at the state level to face continued prosecution at the federal level on terrorism charges is relatively rare, since the U.S. legal system generally avoids trying the same conduct twice, unless the federal charge targets a different element — in this case, transnational terrorist motivation, which the state court did not consider.
From a historical perspective of freedom of speech, the Rushdie attack represents the most serious act of violence directly linked to the 1989 fatwa since the decree was issued — for two decades before the attack, Rushdie had lived a relatively normal life in New York, suggesting the threat had been perceived as dormant over time.
As for the defense, Matar's lawyer, Nathaniel Barone, argues that prosecutors lack direct evidence of Matar's motive or state of mind at the time of the crime, and must rely on circumstantial evidence to persuade the jury — this is the critical point in determining whether the conduct constitutes "terrorism" under federal law or merely a personal assault.
As for Iran, the government has denied any involvement in the 2022 attack, though U.S. prosecutors continue to view Khomeini's fatwa as the underlying motive for Matar's actions.
The federal trial, which began Wednesday in Buffalo, is expected to continue with additional testimony, with the central question remaining whether the jury will find that Matar acted out of loyalty to an organization designated as terrorist by the U.S., or simply as an individual motivated by extremist ideology without clear organizational direction or ties.
Who is Hadi Matar and what is he accused of?
Hadi Matar, 28, was born in the United States and holds both American and Lebanese citizenship. He is the man who stabbed writer Salman Rushdie on stage in 2022. He was convicted by New York state court to 25 years in prison for attempted murder, and is now being tried in federal court with additional charges of transnational terrorism, which could result in a life sentence if convicted.
Why is Matar being tried twice for the same attack?
This is not technically a double trial for the same offense—the state court tried him for attempted murder, while federal court is trying a different charge: transnational terrorism, based on allegations that Matar acted out of loyalty to the Iranian government and Hezbollah. The U.S. legal system permits parallel federal prosecution when there is a separate criminal element that the state court did not address.
Does Iran's 1989 fatwa still have force?
The Iranian government publicly distanced itself from the decree in 1998, but the decree has never been formally revoked. U.S. prosecutors argue that this decree, although decades old, remains the motive that drove Matar to plan the attack on Rushdie more than three decades after it was issued.
Is Iran directly involved in the attack?
The Iranian government has denied involvement in the 2022 attack. U.S. prosecutors are not accusing Iran of directly ordering Matar, but argue that Matar acted independently after being influenced by the fatwa and statements supporting Hezbollah. There is no public evidence of direct operational direction from the Iranian government.
How has the attack affected Salman Rushdie?
The stabbing left Rushdie blind in one eye, with liver damage, and a severed nerve in his left hand that temporarily paralyzed it. He required ventilator support to maintain his life. Despite these injuries, Rushdie has continued to write and publish work since the attack.