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Washington: A US court has convicted an American national on charges of federal terrorism in the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie in New York.

A federal jury in Buffalo on Wednesday, July 29, convicted Hadi Matar, 28, of Fairview, New Jersey, of attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organisation, engaging in an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, and providing material support to terrorists.

“Hadi Matar, who was born and raised in the United States, chose to align his values with the terroristic values of the leaders of Iran, which often promote violence, and in this case, the call for murder,” said US Attorney Michael DiGiacomo for the Western District of New York.

DiGiacomo said Matar spent months planning and preparing to carry out what he hoped would be the execution of Salman Rushdie and possibly follow in the footsteps of martyrs he admired.

“Instead, his attempted act of terror failed, and Salman Rushdie survived, thanks to courageous members of the public and law enforcement, who saved Rushdie and captured Matar,” he said.

On August 12, 2022, Matar attempted to murder Rushdie in an effort to carry out a fatwa calling for his execution because of the novel “Satanic Verses”, published in 1988.

“Matar spent more than a year immersing himself in Hezbollah’s violent ideology and preparing to act on a fatwa issued by Iran’s Ayatollahs calling for Rushdie’s murder,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.

“His brutal attack on Rushdie during a peaceful speaking event is a chilling reminder of the global reach of Iranian terrorism. With today’s verdict, justice has been done, and Matar will pay for his crimes,” Eisenberg said.

“This was not an impulsive act; Matar conducted a violent attack in support of a designated foreign terrorist organisation and wanted to carry out a fatwa against the victim,” Assistant Director Jarod Brown of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division said.

“With today’s verdict, this assailant will pay the price of engaging in terrorism. The FBI and our partners are committed to bringing terrorists and all who support them to justice,” Brown said.

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 the Chautauqua Institution in Mayville, New York.

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 the video of Hassan Nasrallah endorsing the fatwa in 2006.

Matar surrounded himself with symbols of Hezbollah martyrs before the attack.

He travelled 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 Organisation, who was responsible for planning a number of terrorist attacks. On the morning of the attack, Matar visited a website run by Hezbollah and took screenshots of the outfit’s martyrs who had died in the month of August.

Matar faces a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on November 3 before the US District Judge Richard J Arcara, who presided over the trial.

The case was investigated by the Buffalo Office of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis, II, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.