Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Stabbing Salman Rushdie 😱🔪

The man convicted of stabbing author Salman Rushdie on stage in 2022 was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison. Hadi Matar, 27, was found guilty in February of attempted murder and assault after attacking Rushdie during a literary event at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York. The brutal assault left the acclaimed author blind in one eye and severely injured. Rushdie did not attend the sentencing but submitted a victim impact statement. During the trial, the 77-year-old author testified in detail, describing how he believed he was dying as Matar stabbed him more than a dozen times in the head and torso. Before receiving his sentence, Matar stood in court and delivered a statement criticizing Rushdie and referencing free speech, calling the author a hypocrite. The judge handed down the maximum sentence of 25 years for attempted murder and an additional 7 years for injuring another man on stage—both to be served concurrently. Prosecutor Jason Schmidt emphasized that Matar had carefully planned the attack to cause maximum harm not only to Rushdie but also to the 1,400 people in the audience. Matar’s defense lawyer argued for a 12-year sentence, citing his lack of prior criminal history. Rushdie spent over two weeks hospitalized and more than three weeks in rehabilitation after the attack. He recounted the ordeal in his 2024 memoir Knife. 😮📚 #LiteraryEvent #LegalCase #VictimImpactStatement