The federal terrorism trial of Hadi Matar began on Wednesday in Buffalo, New York, with prosecutors alleging he acted on behalf of Hezbollah and a decades-old fatwa when he stabbed author Salman Rushdie more than a dozen times in August 2022.
Matar, who has pleaded not guilty to federal charges including providing material support to terrorists and committing an act of transnational terrorism, is already serving a 25-year state sentence for attempted murder and assault after his conviction in May 2025. A conviction on the transnational terrorism charge could bring a life sentence in addition to his existing term.
Prosecutors argue Matar was motivated by loyalty to Iran's government and the 1989 fatwa issued by Ruhollah Khomeini. Rushdie, who lost the use of one eye in the attack, is expected to testify and describe the stabbing.