BUFFALO, N.Y. — A federal terrorism trial opened on Wednesday for Hadi Matar, the man already convicted in New York state court of attempting to kill author Salman Rushdie in a 2022 knife attack, as prosecutors seek to prove the assault was motivated by support for a foreign terrorist organization and Iran's longstanding fatwa against the novelist.
Opening statements began in U.S. District Court in Buffalo, about 70 miles (113 km) from the Chautauqua Institution, where Rushdie was attacked on stage while preparing to speak at an event on writer safety in August 2022. Rushdie, 79, is expected to testify during the proceedings, according to court officials and prosecutors.
Matar, 28, is serving a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted in state court of attempted murder and assault. He has pleaded not guilty to federal charges, including engaging in an act of transnational terrorism and providing material support related to terrorism. If convicted on the federal charges, he could face a life sentence.
Federal prosecutors allege Matar acted out of loyalty to Iran's theocratic leadership and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Court filings cited by prosecutors say investigators recovered electronic records, notes and research concerning the fatwa issued in 1989 by Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who called for Rushdie's death after publication of the novel "The Satanic Verses." Prosecutors also allege Matar believed he was acting on behalf of Hezbollah, which the United States designates as a foreign terrorist organization.
Defense lawyers have challenged the government's use of electronic evidence, arguing in pretrial proceedings that investigators conducted overly broad searches of Matar's digital accounts and devices. Matar did not testify during his state trial, and it was not immediately clear whether he would take the stand in the federal case.
The 2022 attack left Rushdie blind in one eye and with lasting injuries after he was stabbed multiple times before an audience. The Booker Prize-winning author later chronicled the assault and his recovery in the memoir "Knife."
Rushdie lived under threat for decades following Khomeini's fatwa. Although Iranian officials have said in recent years that Tehran was not involved in the 2022 attack, the decree was never formally rescinded.
The federal trial is expected to continue with testimony from Rushdie and other witnesses in the coming days.
