Salman Rushdie stabbed
On 12 August 2022, author Salman Rushdie was stabbed repeatedly on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York as he was being introduced to speak, and lost the sight of one eye. Ralph Henry Reese, who was on stage with him, suffered a facial injury (SBS/AFP/AAP). Audience members restrained the attacker, Hadi Matar, until a state trooper arrested him.
A jury convicted Matar of attempted murder and assault in February 2025. On 16 May 2025, Chautauqua County Judge David Foley sentenced him to 25 years in prison, plus a concurrent seven-year term for wounding the second man (AP). On 29 July 2026, a federal jury convicted Matar of terrorism offences, including attempting to provide material support to Hizballah. The US Department of Justice said Matar attacked Rushdie "in an effort to carry out a fatwa calling for Rushdie's execution". It said the fatwa was issued in 1989 by Ruhollah Khomeini and reaffirmed in 2017 by Ali Khamenei. Federal sentencing was set for 3 November 2026, with a maximum penalty of life.
According to the US Department of Justice, before the attack "Matar discussed the fatwa — and Hizballah's endorsement of the fatwa — with individuals located in Iran, Australia, and Canada." The DOJ did not name those individuals or allege any wrongdoing by them.
More sources:
