Hadi Matar was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday for stabbing Indian-born novelist Salman Rushdie during a 2022 talk in New York state. Matar, who was convicted of second degree attempted murder in February, said during his sentencing that he considered Rushdie to be a hypocrite, The New York Times reported. It was Rushdie’s fictional depiction of Islam founder Muhammad in his 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses, which caused Ayatollah Khomeini, then Iran’s Supreme leader, to call for the author’s execution. Rushdie has since lived under constant threat of violence. The 2022 attack left Rushdie blind in one eye. On Friday, Matar was also found guilty of assaulting Ralph Henry Reese, who was with Rushdie at the Chautauqua Institution for his talk. He will serve that seven-year sentence concurrently. The defense called no witnesses during the trial, and Matar opted not to testify. The 27-year-old is also expected to go on trial for federal terrorism-related charges related to his attack, with a date to be determined.
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