FLASH
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The perpetrator of the knife attack on renowned British-Indian author Sir Salman Rushdie at a lecture stage in New York has been found guilty of attempted murder and assault.
Hadi Matar, 27, now faces a sentence of more than 30 years in prison.
The attack in August 2022 left Salman with serious injuries including damage to his liver, loss of vision in one eye, and a paralyzed hand caused by nerve damage in his arm.
The jury's guilty verdict on Friday came after a two-week trial in Chautauqua County Courthouse in western New York state, near the site of the attack.
The jury also found Matar guilty of assault for wounding the interviewer, Henry Reese, who was on stage with the perpetrator. Mr. Reese suffered a minor head injury during the attack. Matar's sentencing date is set for April 23.
The attack came more than 35 years after Salman Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses" was first published. The novel, inspired by the life of the Muslim prophet Muhammad, sparked outrage among some Muslims, who considered its content blasphemous. The book was banned in some countries when it was published in 1988.
Salman faced countless death threats and was forced into hiding for nine years after Iran's religious leader issued a fatwa calling for the author's death over the book. But in recent years, the author said he believed the threats against him had diminished.
Salman Rushdie, 77, testified that he was on stage at the Chautauqua Historical Institute when he saw a man rushing toward him. Recalling the incident, he said he was struck by the attacker's eyes, "which were dark and looked very fierce."
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