The New York Court condemned on Friday to 25 years in prison of American citizen Hadi Matarwho tried in 2022 in the Cultural Center in Chautauque To assassinate British writer of Indian origin Salman Rushdie. Matar may appeal against the verdict. TASR reports this based on DPA and AFP reports.
Matar also received another seven years in prison for the challenge of another participant of the event, on which he read from his book. Penalties will run in parallel. Matar that has Lebanese roots, He attacked Rushdie with a knife on August 12, 2022. Writer stabbed knife with a 15-centimeter blade several times to the area eye, cheeks, neck, chest, torso and thighwhereas him interrupted the visual nerve – Since then, the author does not see the right eye and wears glasses with dark glasses. One hand paralyzed as a result of nerve damage in Rushdie’s shoulder and spent several weeks in the hospital and nursing facility.
The jury in Chautauqua district recognized in February 27-year-old Matar for a guilty of an attempt to murder currently 77-year-old Rushdie. Matar declared himself innocent. Because of the fact that The attack happened before hundreds of eyewitnesses and was captured on the videothere was no doubt that the offense was committed. In February, Rushdie testified to an attack in Mayville’s court in the West of New York in the presence of Matar. “It was clear to me that I would die. I thought that first of all,” said Rushdie. He also said that after the attack he is no longer as energetic and strong as before.
The attack will cover another process at the federal level that, according to US media, will focus for charges of terrorism And he should devote himself deeper to find the motive of Matar’s attack. Rushdie wrote about the Book of Knife’s attack: Meditations After and Attempted Murder, which was published in April 2024. However, his life has been in danger since 1988when his fourth, controversially accepted novel Satanic verses, inspired by the life of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad.
In February 1989, the then highest spiritual leader of Iran issued Ajatollah Rúholláh Chomejní Fatva, by which He sentenced Rushdie to death. Since then, the British Government has provided him with protection and the writer has often changed their stay. In 1998, the British Minister of Foreign Affairs Robin Cook managed to conclude an agreement with his Iranian counterpart to the Charrasion of the Charles of Fatva.
However, the fundamental Muslim circles continue to consider it to be validbecause was not dismissed by the Chomeji itselfthat died shortly after its declaration. The last 20 years – until the attack – has lived Rushdie relatively normal in New York. Iran denied any connection with the attacker and stated that only Rushdie was responsible for the incident.
