Trial begins for Salman Rushdie’s attacker in New York

The trial of the man accused of attacking renowned British-Indian author Salman Rushdie in 2022 is set to begin Monday in upstate New York.

The suspect, 27-year-old Hadi Matar from New Jersey, faces charges of attempted murder and assault. He has pleaded not guilty.

The attack took place at the Chautauqua Institution on Aug. 12, 2022, where Rushdie was scheduled to give a lecture on the role of the US as a refuge for exiled writers.

As he took the stage, an assailant rushed toward him and stabbed him multiple times, causing severe injuries, including loss of vision in one eye and liver damage. The interviewer on stage, Henry Reese, also sustained a minor head injury.

The trial, held in Mayville, will be decided by a jury, with Rushdie himself expected to testify. His account, along with statements from other witnesses, will be key in determining the outcome of the case.

- A target for decades -

Rushdie has long been the subject of threats following the publication of his 1988 novel The Satanic Verses, which some Muslims considered blasphemous. The book was banned in several countries, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, an official legal ruling or interpretation of Islamic law issued by a qualified scholar, known as a mufti, calling for Rushdie's execution, placing a multimillion-dollar bounty on his head.

Though Rushdie lived under police protection for years, he later expressed confidence that the danger had lessened—just weeks before the 2022 attack.

- The suspect -

Matar, a US citizen of Lebanese descent, was 24 at the time of the attack. After his arrest, authorities said they had not identified a clear motive, but in a jailhouse interview with the New York Post, Matar praised Khomeini, saying, "I don't think he's a very good person… He's someone who attacked Islam."

In addition to state charges, Matar faces federal allegations of providing material support to Hezbollah. Though, he has denied any connection to the group.

Matar’s defense team previously sought to relocate the trial, arguing that the widespread publicity and the lack of an Arab-American community in the area could affect the fairness of the proceedings. That request was denied, and he remains in custody at Chautauqua County Jail. If convicted, he could face up to 32 years in prison.

- Rushdie’s response -

Rushdie, now 77, spent six weeks in the hospital following the attack. While he survived, the injuries left lasting effects, including nerve damage that paralyzed one of his hands.

He later detailed the ordeal in his memoir, Knife, reflecting on his attacker: "I find I have very little to say to you… Our lives touched each other for an instant and then separated. Mine has improved since that day, while yours has deteriorated. You made a bad gamble and lost."

While Rushdie has expressed uncertainty about facing Matar in court, he previously told BBC Newshour, “There's one bit of me that actually wants to go and stand on the court and look at him, and there's another bit of me that just can't be bothered.”