Assailant Found Guilty in Salman Rushdie Stabbing Case

WHO:

CBS News - Hadi Matar was convicted in the stabbing case.

CNN - Salman Rushdie is the author who was attacked.

CNN - Nathaniel Barone is Matar's defense lawyer.

CNN - Timothy Lynch is the Assistant U.S. Attorney involved in the case.

WHAT:

CBS News - Matar was convicted of federal terrorism charges.

CNN - Matar was found guilty of all charges, including engaging in an act of transnational terrorism.

CNN - Matar is already serving a 25-year New York state prison sentence for attempted murder.

CNN - The federal conviction carries a potential life sentence.

CNN - Rushdie was stabbed 15 times during the attack.

WHERE:

CNN - The attack occurred on stage at an amphitheater in Chautauqua, New York.

CNN - The trial took place in Buffalo, New York.

WHEN:

CNN - The attack on Salman Rushdie occurred in August 2022.

CNN - The federal trial concluded with a conviction on a Wednesday.

WHY:

CNN - Matar was motivated by the fatwa issued by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 calling for Rushdie's death.

CNN - Matar expressed that he felt Rushdie had attacked Islam and wanted to fulfill the fatwa.

HOW:

CNN - Matar tracked Rushdie's public appearances and planned the attack during Rushdie's scheduled talk.

CNN - Matar communicated his intentions through messaging apps, discussing wanting to "expose" Rushdie and later to kill him.

CNN - Matar was arrested by law enforcement officers assigned to the event after being restrained by civilians.

(UPDATED July 29, 2026 23:19 UTC)

Hadi Matar has been convicted of federal terrorism charges for the stabbing of author Salman Rushdie, who was attacked on stage at an amphitheater in Chautauqua, New York, in August 2022. Matar was found guilty of all charges, including engaging in an act of transnational terrorism, and he is already serving a 25-year sentence for attempted murder, with the federal conviction carrying a potential life sentence. Matar was motivated by a fatwa issued in 1989 calling for Rushdie's death, and he meticulously planned the attack by tracking Rushdie's public appearances and communicating his intentions through messaging apps.