Hadi Matar, accused of attempting to murder author Salman Rushdie in New York two years ago, is now facing federal charges for carrying out an act of terrorism due to his alleged support for Hezbollah, according to his indictment published on Wednesday.
Matar, 26, from New Jersey, is already facing state charges of attempted murder and assault for stabbing Rushdie in 2022. Now, a grand jury has charged him with three counts related to terrorist activities, including carrying out an act of terrorism and providing material support to Hezbollah, which the U.S. recognizes as a terrorist organization.
The attacker, a Shia Muslim with Lebanese roots, has pleaded not guilty to the charges of murder and assault and is awaiting trial while being held in a New York prison. According to his attorney, Nathaniel Barone, he plans to plead not guilty to the federal charges as well.
Reuters reached out to Hezbollah's media office in Lebanon, which refused to provide a response to the allegations connecting Matar to the terror group.
Rushdie, an Indian-born novelist who spent years in hiding after he was ordered killed by Iran in 1989 because of his writing, was stabbed in the neck as he was about to give a lecture in New York state in 2022. He lost sight in one eye and the use of one hand due to injuries from the attack.