A man who severely injured author Salman Rushdie in a frenzied knife attack in western New York is now facing a new charge of supporting a terrorist group. Hadi Matar has been indicted in U.S. District Court in Buffalo for providing material support to Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon and backed by Iran. The indictment, unsealed on Wednesday, did not specify the evidence linking Matar to the group.
Earlier this month, Matar declined an offer from state prosecutors to recommend a shorter prison sentence in exchange for pleading guilty to attempted murder and assault charges in Chautauqua County Court. The proposed agreement also included a federal terrorism-related charge, which had not been filed at the time. As a result, both cases will proceed to trial separately, with jury selection for the state case scheduled for October 15.
