Terror on Stage: The Sentencing of Hadi Matar

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.)