Opening Statements Begin in Trial of Man Charged with Trying to Kill Salman Rushdie
Lawyers to Deliver Opening Statements
Lawyers are scheduled to deliver opening statements Monday at the trial of the man charged with trying to fatally stab author Salman Rushdie in front of a lecture audience in western New York.
Rushdie to Testify
Rushdie, 77, is expected to testify during the trial of Hadi Matar, bringing the writer face-to-face with his knife-wielding attacker for the first time in more than two years.
The Attack
Rushdie, who wrote “Midnight’s Children” and “Victory City,” had been about to speak about keeping writers safe from harm in August 2022 when Matar ran toward him on the stage at the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater. Matar stabbed Rushdie more than a dozen times in the neck, stomach, chest, hand, and right eye, leaving him partially blind and with permanent damage to one hand.
Matar’s Defense
Matar, 27, of Fairview, New Jersey, is charged with attempted murder and assault. He has pleaded not guilty. A jury was selected last week. Matar was in court throughout the three-day process, taking notes and consulting with his attorneys.
The Trial
Once testimony is underway, the trial is expected to last a week to 10 days. Jurors will be shown video and photos from the day of the attack, which ended when onlookers rushed Matar and held him until police arrived. The event’s moderator, Henry Reese, co-founder of City of Asylum in Pittsburgh, was also wounded.
Matar’s Motivation
Matar told investigators he traveled by bus to Chautauqua, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) south of Buffalo. He is believed to have slept in the grounds of the arts and academic retreat the night before the attack.
Federal Indictment
In a separate indictment, federal authorities allege Matar was motivated by a terrorist organization’s endorsement of a fatwa, or edict, calling for Rushdie’s death. A later trial on the federal charges – terrorism transcending national boundaries, providing material support to terrorists, and attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization – will be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Buffalo.
Background on the Fatwa
Rushdie spent years in hiding after the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued the fatwa in 1989 over the Rushdie novel, “The Satanic Verses,” which some Muslims consider blasphemous. In the federal indictment, authorities allege Matar believed the edict was backed by the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah and endorsed in a 2006 speech by the group’s then-leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
Conclusion
The trial is expected to be a significant moment for Rushdie, who has been a prominent figure in literary circles for decades. The outcome of the trial will depend on the jury’s verdict, but one thing is certain – the world is watching as this case unfolds.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the charge against Hadi Matar?
- Matar is charged with attempted murder and assault.
- What is the expected length of the trial?
- The trial is expected to last a week to 10 days.
- What is the federal indictment alleging?
- The federal indictment alleges Matar was motivated by a terrorist organization’s endorsement of a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death.
