Man charged over attempted murder of Salman Rushdie accused of ties to Hezbollah

Hadi Matar rejected a plea deal that would have required him to admit guilt to the then-unfiled allegation of his attempt to materially support the terrorist group Hezbollah.

Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news. 

Matar, 26, was charged with repeatedly stabbing Rushdie on Aug. 12, 2022 on stage at the Chautauqua Institution just as the award-winning author was about to give a lecture. Emergency responders airlifted him to a hospital in northwestern Pennsylvania, where he underwent life-saving surgery. 

Matar will finally stand trial for the attack, having refused a plea deal, and following a minor delay after the publication of Rushdie’s memoir, "Knife," that detailed his experience of the attack. He already faced charges of attempted murder and assault, and the plea deal required him to plead guilty to a federal terrorism-related charge, which had yet to be filed at the time.