A man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie has been charged with three federal terrorism-related counts, as per a grand jury indictment unsealed on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Hadi Matar, faces charges of committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and providing material support to terrorists.
The incident took place in August 2022 when Rushdie was stabbed multiple times onstage just before he was scheduled to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in New York. Matar had previously pleaded not guilty to state charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault in connection with the stabbing.
According to the unsealed grand jury indictment, federal authorities allege that Matar tried to provide material support and resources, including himself and services, to a designated foreign terrorist organization, specifically Hizballah.
The indictment further states that Matar knowingly attempted to kill, maim, and commit assault resulting in serious bodily injury, as well as assault with a dangerous weapon on a person within the United States, without mentioning Rushdie by name.
Matar recently turned down a state plea deal that would have involved a federal terrorism-related charge and a reduced state prison sentence.
His attorney, Nathaniel Barone, stated that Matar maintains his innocence not only on the state charges but also on the federal charges. Barone emphasized that Matar will assert all his fundamental and constitutional rights in defending the case to the fullest extent.
