Rushdie, an Indian-born British writer, was condemned to death in 1989 by Iran's late religious leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, over his novel 'The Satanic Verses'.

The Iranian leader dubbed the novel as blasphemous and offensive to Islam and issued a fatwa (religious edict) calling for Rushdie's death. The initial bounty for the writer's head was $1 million but has been increased several times since.