Salman Rushdie attacker sentenced to 25 years in prison

Salman Rushdie, a 77-year-old British-American author, was severely injured in a 2022 stabbing attack at the Chautauqua County Court in Mayville, New York. Hadi Matar, a 27-year-old US citizen from New Jersey, was convicted in February of second-degree attempted murder and assault for the attack. During the trial, Rushdie believed he was dying after being stabbed multiple times with a six-inch blade, leaving him blind in one eye. Matar shouted pro-Palestinian slogans during the trial and had previously stated he had only read two pages of Rushdie's book, "The Satanic Verses". Matar faced a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison for the attempted murder charge, which was the sentence he received. The author did not attend the sentencing, instead submitting a victim impact statement. Matar also faces separate federal terrorism charges that carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.