Terror on Stage: The Sentencing of Hadi Matar

Hadi Matar, convicted of the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie, faces sentencing on charges of attempted murder and assault. He previously pled not guilty to terrorism-related counts. Rushdie sustained severe injuries, including blindness in one eye. Matar's motives connect to a 1989 fatwa following Rushdie's novel, 'The Satanic Verses.'

Hadi Matar, the man convicted of the brutal stabbing of Salman Rushdie during a 2022 lecture in New York, is set to be sentenced on Friday. The attack left the celebrated author blind in one eye.

A jury earlier found Matar guilty of attempted murder and assault. The Chautauqua County District Attorney seeks a maximum sentence of 25 years for the attack on Rushdie and an additional seven years for injuring a second individual who was on stage. Sentences are to run concurrently.

Matar, who has pleaded not guilty to federal terrorism-related charges, is linked to a 1989 fatwa issued after Rushdie's 'The Satanic Verses.' Authorities claim Matar intended to fulfill the decree, backed by Hezbollah according to prosecutors.

(With inputs from agencies.)