Salman Rushdie stabbing suspect now faces federal terrorism charges

(NEW YORK) — The man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie on stage at a speaking event in upstate New York in 2022 now faces federal terrorism charges, according to an indictment unsealed on Wednesday.

Hadi Matar, of Fairview, New Jersey, was indicted by a grand jury on three counts, including attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and providing material support to terrorists. The indictment alleges that he “knowingly did attempt to provide material support and resources” to Hezbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and “had engaged, and was engaging, in terrorism.”

Matar was also charged with an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries for the attack against Rushdie on Aug. 12, 2022, at the Chautauqua Institution in southwestern New York. The indictment alleges that he “did knowingly attempt to kill, and did knowingly maim, commit an assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and assault with a dangerous weapon.”

The grand jury was empaneled in July 2023 though the charges weren’t filed until July 17, according to the indictment.

Matar has not yet entered a plea on the federal charges, according to online court records. ABC News has reached out to his attorney for comment.

Matar has pleaded not guilty to two state charges — second-degree attempted murder and assault — in connection with the attack.

The new charges come after Matar rejected a plea deal earlier this month that involved the state and not-yet-filed federal charges.

The deal required a guilty plea to the top state count of second-degree attempted murder for a sentence of 20 years — down from a maximum of 25 years for the charge, the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office said.

Under the deal, state and federal prosecutors agreed to the 20-year sentence “with the understanding that Mr. Matar would also plea to a charge in federal court and receive an additional 10-20 years in a federal facility,” the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement to ABC News at the time.

The federal sentence would have run consecutive to his state sentence, for 30 to 40 years of total incarceration plus lifetime supervision upon release, the office said.

The defense had made a counteroffer that proposed a 15-year sentence for the second-degree attempted murder charge, which was rejected by the state, his public defender, Nathaniel Barone II, told ABC News.

“At that point, it was determined that he was not going to accept the state’s offer,” Barone said at the time.

Matar, who was 24 years old at the time of the attack, remains in custody at the Chautauqua County Jail.

The trial in the state case was pushed back last week from September to October. Both men are expected to testify.

Rushdie is now blind in his right eye from the attack, which he recounted in a new book, Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder.