A man who assaulted renowned author Salman Rushdie has been accused of having ties with Hezbollah.

Rushdie is an acclaimed writer who spent years in hiding after Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his death over his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses.” In August 2022, Rushdie was about to give a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York when 26-year-old Hadi Matar rushed the stage and stabbed him more than a dozen times.

The attack left Rushdie blind in one eye and caused other severe injuries. It took six weeks in hospital for Rushdie to recover, which is well documented in his memoir “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder.”

According to the indictment unsealed on Friday in US District Court, Matar faces three new terrorism charges. These include attempting to provide material support to Hezbollah, committing terrorism transcending national boundaries, and providing material support to terrorists.

Matar, a New Jersey resident born to Lebanese parents, had reportedly become withdrawn following a 2018 visit to Lebanon. While the precise reasons for the attack remain elusive, Matar offered a glimpse into his mindset during a New York Post interview from behind bars. He admitted to watching Rushdie on YouTube, expressing disdain for what he perceived as disingenuous.

The federal indictment comes on the heels of Matar’s decision to decline a plea offer from state prosecutors that would have recommended a more lenient sentence. However defense lawyer Nathaniel Barone believes his client is innocent.

“Mr. Matar plans on denying the accusations in the indictment,” Barone told the BBC. “He plans on proceeding with a vigorous defense and maintaining his innocence.”