Rushdie attacker indicted on terrorism charges

NEW YORK: The man accused of trying to kill the author Salman Rushdie has been charged with terrorism for allegedly acting on behalf of Hezbollah, according to documents unsealed Wednesday.

Hadi Matar, a 26-year-old American of Lebanese descent who was already charged by the state of New York for the 2022 stabbing attack, has now been indicted by a grand jury on three counts that include attempting to provide material to support a foreign terrorist organization, said the indictment dated July 17 but not unsealed until now.

That organization is Lebanon´s Iran-backed movement Hezbollah, the US Justice Department said.

In August 2022 Rushdie lost sight in his right eye after the attack by a knife-wielding assailant, who jumped on stage at an arts gathering in New York state.

The Indian-born author, a naturalized American based in New York, had faced death threats since his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses” was declared blasphemous by Iran´s supreme leader.