Salman Rushdie Will Testify at Trial of Man Accused of Stabbing Him
The author Salman Rushdie, who was stabbed and blinded in one eye two years ago by an attacker who rushed him onstage in front of hundreds of people, will testify at the man’s trial, prosecutors said on Friday.The assailant, Hadi Matar, is charged with second-degree attempted murder and assault with a weapon in connection with the August 2022 attack, in Chautauqua County, in western New York.Prosecutors say the attack, during which Mr.
Rushdie was stabbed about 10 times, was premeditated.Mr.
Matar has pleaded not guilty.The trial, which could last up to seven weeks, had been scheduled to begin on Tuesday.But on Friday, a state appeals court judge granted a defense request to delay the trial while the court considers a separate defense motion to move it out of Chautauqua County.Nathaniel Barone, a public defender who is representing Mr.
Matar, said it was important that the proceedings be moved “to preserve my client’s right to a fair trial,” which, he added, was impossible in Chautauqua County because of the publicity surrounding the case and the lack of a local Arab American community.Mr.Rushdie, who spent years in hiding after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran ordered Muslims to kill the author following the 1988 publication of his novel “The Satanic Verses,” will most likely testify during the first two days of the prosecution’s case, officials said on Friday.
He is one of about 15 witnesses who are expected to testify, officials said.Mr.Matar also faces federal terrorism charges, including providing “material support and resources” to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia in Lebanon.
He and his family moved from Lebanon to the United States when he was a child.He was living in New Jersey and working at a clothing store at the time of the attack.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
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