Federal Terrorism Trial of Hadi Matar Begins in Buffalo

On July 22, 2026, a federal jury in Buffalo heard the opening of a transnational-terrorism case against Hadi Matar, the 28-year-old convicted of attempting to kill author Salman Rush die in August 2022. Rushdie, 79, testified for the second time, describing the assault that left him blind in his right eye, damaged his liver, temporarily paralyzed his left hand and required brief ventilation. Matar, already serving a 25-year state sentence for attempted murder, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges that include providing material support to a designated terrorist organization and committing an act of transnational terrorism.

Rushdie Attacker Hadi Matar Faces Federal Terrorism Trial

The attack occurred during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution. Prosecutors link it to the 1989 fatwa issued by Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which called for Rushdie’s death over *The Satanic Verses*. Although Iran later distanced itself from the decree, it was never formally rescinded. The federal trial examines whether the killing was motivated by allegiance to Iran’s theocratic regime and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, which the United States designates as a terrorist organization.

United Press International (UPI)

Prosecutors introduced photographs, journal entries, sticky-note lists and digital files recovered from Matar’s New Jersey bedroom. Assistant U.S. defense lawyer Nathaniel Barone argued that the government lacks “hard evidence” of Matar’s mindset and that jurors are being asked to “connect the dots” without concrete proof.

Associated Press

• Prosecutorial stance: Lynch said the attack was an effort to “fulfill the fatwa” and that Matar’s research demonstrated loyalty to Iran and Hezbollah.

Associated Press

• Iranian response: Iran’s foreign ministry suggested Rushdie “invited trouble by insulting Islam,” while denying direct involvement.

HuffPost

• Hezbollah: Leader Hassan Nasrallah did not comment.

Salman Rushdie testifies at terrorism trial of man convicted of stabbing him

• “I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me,” — Salman Rushdie

PBS News Hour

• “The knife was a millimeter from my brain,” — Salman Rushdie

PBS News Hour

• “You’re going to have to ask yourselves: What was Hadi Matar’s intent?” — Nathaniel Barone

Associated Press

• The assailant slashed Rushdie 15 times across his head, neck and torso.

PBS News Hour

• Injuries included loss of sight in one eye, liver damage, temporary paralysis of his left hand and a brief period on a ventilator.

PBS News Hour

• Matar’s state conviction carries a 25-year term; a federal conviction could add a life sentence.

The Guardian

The trial is expected to last approximately two weeks. If the jury finds Matar guilty on all federal counts, he faces a potential life term. The case will also test the U.S. government’s ability to prove terrorist motive in a high-profile attack tied to a decades-old religious edict.

Rushdie Attacker Hadi Matar Faces Federal Terrorism Trial