A federal jury on Wednesday convicted novelist Salman Rushdie's assailant of "engaging in an act of terrorism" for the bloody August 2022 attack at a New York cultural center. Hadi Matar, a 28-year-old Lebanese American, "chose to align his values with the terroristic values of the leaders of Iran," said US Attorney Michael DiGiacomo, adding the defendant spent months planning the stabbing that nearly killed Rushdie and left him blind in one eye.

Hadi Matar has already been convicted of state-level attempted murder charges for the 2022 attack that left the author blind in one eye.

A man has been convicted of federal terrorism charges in the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie. A jury delivered its verdict Wednesday in Buffalo, New York.

Hadi Matar is already serving a 25-year sentence for attempted murder