The New Jersey man who was convicted of state-level charges for his attack on famed author Salman Rushdie at Chautauqua Institution nearly four years ago has now been found guilty of federal terrorism charges related to that incident. U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced Wednesday that a jury convicted 28-year-old Hadi Matar of attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization; engaging in an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries; and providing material support to terrorists. The guilty verdict was the result of an investigation by the FBI's Buffalo Office and New York State Police, with assistance from the FBI's Newark Office and Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.
On August 12, 2022, Matar attempted to murder Rushdie in an effort to carry out a fatwa calling for Rushdie's execution because of the novel The Satanic Verses published by Rushdie in 1988. That fatwa was issued in 1989 by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ruhollah Khomeini; reaffirmed in 2017 by the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei; and endorsed in a 2006 speech by Hezbollah's Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah.
According to evidence presented by the government, Matar spent over a year researching the fatwa, including its continuing validity, before deciding to carry it out while Rushdie spoke at Chautauqua. Prior to the attack, Matar discussed the fatwa -- and Hezbollah's endorsement of the fatwa -- with individuals located in Iran, Australia, and Canada. He also created videos about the fatwa, with titles such as "Rushdie_Fatwa 2.0" and "Rushdie_Fatwa 1.6," which combined videos about the fatwa with video of Hassan Nasrallah endorsing the fatwa in 2006.
Matar surrounded himself with symbols of Hezbollah martyrs before the attack. He traveled to the Chautauqua Institution using the name "Hassan Mughniyeh" and carried a false driver's license bearing the same name. Matar's false name contained the first name of Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's Secretary General, and the last name of Imad Mughniyeh, the former head of Hezbollah's External Security Organization, who was responsible for planning a number of Hezbollah's terrorist attacks. On the morning of the attack, Matar visited a website run by Hezbollah and took screenshots of Hezbollah martyrs who had died in the month of August.
Matar, who is currently serving a 25-year state prison sentence for the attack on Rushdie, will be sentenced on the federal counts on November 3rd. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
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