New York jury hears attacker repeatedly stabbed Salman Rushdie
Lebanese-American Hadi Matar, 27, is accused of stabbing the Satanic Verses author about 10 times, leaving him without sight in one eye
Prosecutors in the trial of the man accused of attacking Salman Rushdie described to jurors on Monday how the author of The Satanic Verses was stabbed repeatedly in a frenzied assault that left him blind in one eye.
Hadi Matar, a 27-year-old Lebanese-American who said “free Palestine” as he was led into court, is charged with attempted murder and assault over the August 12, 2022 attack at an arts event in the west of New York state.
Matar is accused of stabbing Rushdie about 10 times, leaving him in grave condition and without sight in his right eye.
Prosecutor District Attorney Jason Schmidt told how Rushdie had just taken his seat in the amphitheatre in front of about 1,000 people.
“A young medium build man wearing dark coloured face mask … appeared from the rear of the theatre,” Schmidt said. “Once on the stage he rapidly, accelerated into a full-out run.
“[Matar] forcefully and efficiently and with speed plunged the knife into Mr Rushdie over and over and over again … swinging, slashing into Mr Rushdie’s head, neck, abdomen, upper thigh.”
