25 years in prison for rushdie assassins: no regrets, only provocation!

25 years in prison for rushdie assassins: no regrets, only provocation!

Rostock, Deutschland - Hadi Matar, the attacker on Salman Rushdie, was sentenced to a prison sentence of 25 years. Matar had stabbed the writer several times during a panel discussion in 2022. Due to this brutally held attack, Rush not only partially lost the eyesight, but also narrowly escaped death. The pronouncement of the judgment made Matar described Rushdie as a "hypocrite" and "Bully", which impressively underlines how little insight he shows in his act.

matar does not distant from his actions and rather sees himself as a victim, seeing rushdie as the true culprit. This accusation is related to his statements about Rushdie's controversial novel "The Satanian Verses", through which he felt insulted. His defender had asked for a milder punishment of just twelve years because Matar had not previously been a criminal offense. Salman Rushdie was not present at the negotiation, which also reinforces the drama of the case.

social implications

The violent attack and the judgment against Matar throw a shadow on the current discussion about freedom of expression. According to a study by the PEN Center in Germany and the Institute for Media Research at the University of Rostock, in which 526 writers took part, alarming results are shown in relation to the situation of freedom of expression in Germany. Three quarters of the respondents express concern about freedom of expression.

The study documents an increasing number of threats, intimidation attempts and hateful reactions against authors. Every second writer surveyed has experienced attacks or knows attacks on colleagues. These developments have serious effects on the personal well -being and the literary work of those affected.

Development of freedom of expression

The results of the study are worrying: Every fourth author states that it is more careful in the assessment of topics, while every fifth reports that he is less about critical content. A eighth even limits its form of expression, which indicates a dangerous tendency that communication suffers on sensitive topics and will avoid certain content. In addition, writers are behavioral on social media because they perceive them as a potential threat to their freedom.

Carlos Collado Seidel, Secretary General of the Pen Center, emphasizes the alarming results and the consequences that they could have for the literary world. The director of the Institute for Media Research, Prof. Elizabeth Prommer, emphasizes how great the need for notification among the writers is. These developments are also discussed at the Frankfurt Book Fair and illustrate the ongoing challenges that protect creative minds in an increasingly enemy environment.

In view of the tragedy of attack on rushdie and the growing pressure on writers, it is clear that these topics will still keep us busy for a long time. The debate about freedom of expression and the protection of authors is more urgent than ever and requires a clear social statement.

Further information about the case and the associated social challenges can be found on as well as on IMF . .