US sanctions Iranian foundation that funded bounty on Salman Rushdie

‘The United States condemns such incitement and the attack on Rushdie in the strongest terms as a blatant assault on freedom of speech and an act of terrorism’

The United States government has levied sanctions on the Iranian group that funded a bounty on the life of author Salman Rushdie and called the August attack on him “an act of terrorism”.

The Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned the 15 Khordad Foundation on Friday for having raised money it said was payable to anyone who could murder the British-American writer, who was targeted by then-Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini with a 1989 fatwa, a religious edict, calling for his death after publication of his acclaimed novel, The Satanic Verses.

Mr Rushdie spent years living in hiding under the protection of British authorities, but in recent years had reemerged into public life.

In August, a knife-wielding man attacked Mr Rushdie at a literary festival in upstate New York, causing the author significant injuries. Earlier this week, his agent, Andrew Wylie, said Mr Rushdie had lost the use of one hand as well as the vision in one eye.

In a statement, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the sanctions against the 15 Khordad Foundation were for “providing financial support for an act of terrorism”.

“The infamous fatwa was intended to incite terrorism and violence, bring about the death of Rushdie and his associates, and intimidate others,” Mr Blinken said. “The United States condemns such incitement and the attack on Rushdie in the strongest terms as a blatant assault on freedom of speech and an act of terrorism. Today’s action is another clear signal that we will not stand by in the face of it”.