Hadi Matar, the man responsible for the brutal 2022 knife attack on author Salman Rushdie, was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison. The assault occurred onstage at a lecture in western New York, leaving Rushdie blind in one eye and marked by severe injuries.

Matar, 27, was found guilty by a jury in February on charges of attempted murder and assault. Rushdie, now 77, did not attend the sentencing but submitted a written statement. During the trial, he testified in detail about the attack, recalling the horrifying moment when a masked assailant repeatedly stabbed him in the head and torso just as he was being introduced at the Chautauqua Institution for a talk on writer safety.

Before the court handed down the sentence, Matar spoke out, criticizing Rushdie over free speech. Wearing striped jail attire and shackles, Matar said, “Salman Rushdie wants to disrespect other people. He wants to be a bully… I don’t agree with that.”

The court imposed the maximum penalty: 25 years for the attempted murder charge and seven years for the injuries inflicted on a second man who was also onstage. However, both sentences will be served concurrently, as explained by Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt. Schmidt argued that Matar deliberately orchestrated the attack to inflict maximum harm not just on Rushdie, but on the audience of over 1,400 people who had gathered at the venue.

In contrast, Matar’s defense attorney, Nathaniel Barone, cited his client’s lack of criminal history and claimed the surrounding publicity deprived Matar of a fair presumption of innocence. Barone proposed a 12-year sentence, stating, “This case has been a media magnet since day one.”

Rushdie endured 17 days in a Pennsylvania hospital followed by more than three weeks in a New York rehab center. He chronicled his recovery in his 2024 memoir titled “Knife.” The celebrated author of “Midnight’s Children,” “The Moor’s Last Sigh,” and “Victory City” has lived much of his life under threat since the release of “The Satanic Verses,” a novel that sparked controversy among many in the Muslim world.

The sentencing may mark the end of the state-level prosecution, but Matar’s legal battles are far from over. He is set to face federal charges related to terrorism, including accusations of attempting to support Hezbollah and committing acts of terrorism across national borders. While the first trial centered on the physical assault, the upcoming case is expected to explore the ideological motivations behind it.

Prosecutors say Matar, a U.S. citizen from Fairview, New Jersey, was influenced by a decades-old fatwa issued in 1989 by Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The edict, calling for Rushdie’s death, was never officially rescinded despite Iran’s claims it would not be enforced. Matar allegedly believed the fatwa had renewed backing from Hezbollah, particularly following a 2006 speech by its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Surveillance footage played during the trial showed the chilling moment when Matar approached Rushdie from behind and lunged with a knife, stabbing repeatedly as the stunned crowd reacted in horror. The video captured Rushdie trying to defend himself, standing and stumbling forward as Matar clung to him, before both men fell and were eventually pulled apart by bystanders.

Jurors returned their verdict with striking speed—less than two hours after beginning deliberations.