Fairview Man Rejects Plea Deal in Salman Rushdie Attack Case

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Fairview NJ, Hadi Matar, a 26-year-old from Fairview, New Jersey, has rejected a plea deal offered by the U.S. Attorney’s office in relation to the 2022 attack on author Salman Rushdie during a lecture in Chautauqua, New York.

Plea Deal Details

The proposed plea deal would have addressed both federal and state charges. According to a spokesperson from Chautauqua County, representing District Attorney Jason Schmidt, Matar would have pled guilty to attempted murder in the state’s case and subsequently in federal court. The deal would have resulted in a 20-year sentence for the New York case, plus an additional 10 to 20 years for the federal charges, totaling 30 to 40 years in prison followed by lifetime supervision.

Upcoming Trial

With the plea deal rejected, the case is set to proceed to trial on September 9. If convicted of the state charge of second-degree attempted murder, Matar faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison. He also faces a second-degree assault charge.

Matar is accused of rushing the stage on August 12, 2022, and stabbing Rushdie multiple times in the neck, stomach, and right eye. Moderator Henry Reese was also injured during the attack.

Motivation Behind the Attack

Prosecutors have indicated that Matar’s actions were motivated by the fatwa issued by Iran’s leadership following the publication of Rushdie’s 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses.” Rushdie’s recent memoir, “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” was published in April, shedding light on the aftermath of the attack.

Testimonies and Background

Rushdie and Reese are expected to testify at the trial, as reported by the Erie Times-News.

Before his arrest, Matar lived on Morningside Street in Fairview with his mother, Silvana Fardos. He spent his early years in California until his parents divorced in 2004, after which his father returned to Lebanon.

Matar was a member of the State of Fitness Boxing Club in North Bergen, where he was described as a quiet and reclusive individual. Desmond Boyle, the club’s owner, noted in an online statement that despite efforts by members and coaches to engage him, Matar remained withdrawn.

In a Lebanese television interview following her son’s arrest, Fardos expressed her despair: “I always talked to him about the future. Now there is no future.”

 

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