Hadi Matar, the 27-year-old from New Jersey who stabbed renowned author Salman Rushdie during a lecture in New York, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Friday.
Matar was found guilty earlier this year of attempted murder and assault after launching a brutal knife attack on Rushdie in August 2022, while the author was speaking on stage before an audience.
The violent assault left Rushdie partially blind in one eye, caused severe liver damage, and paralyzed one of his hands due to nerve injuries in his arm.
The attack came 35 years after the publication of Rushdie’s controversial novel “The Satanic Verses”, which had made him a long-standing target of death threats from extremist groups.
The verdict marks a grim chapter in the ongoing risks faced by writers who challenge censorship and extremism, reinforcing the need for continued defense of freedom of expression.
