Man who tried to kill author Salman Rushdie in New York found guilty of attempted murder

Accused Hadi Matar could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison

Mayville: A New Jersey man was convicted Friday of attempted murder and assault for stabbing author Salman Rushdie multiple times on a New York lecture stage in 2022.

A jury found Hadi Matar, 27, guilty after a little less than two hours of deliberations following a trial in Chautauqua County Court.

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Matar ran onto the stage at the Chautauqua Institution where Rushdie was about to speak on August 12, 2022, and stabbed him more than a dozen times before a live audience. The attack left the 77-year-old prizewinning novelist blind in one eye. Another man was injured.

Rushdie was the key witness during seven days of testimony, describing in graphic detail his life-threatening injuries and long and painful recovery. Matar could be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison.