Hadi Matar, who is accused of stabbing Indian-born-British author Salman Rushdie, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in the second degree and other charges in a New York court.
As per the New York State Police, he ran up onto the stage of a literary event in New York on August 12 at around 10:47 am and attacked Salman Rushdie who was about to speak. After the attack, Rushdie was transported by helicopter to an area hospital.
In the attack, a co-speaker for the event, Ralph Henry Reese, 73 also suffered a minor head injury.
Later, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation arrested Matar. Currently, he is remanded without bail at Chautauqua County Jail.
Who is Hadi Matar?
Hadi Matar is a 24-year-old youth from Fairview, New Jersey. As the attack was planned, he bought a ticket in advance and arrived a day before the event carrying a fake ID card.
Matar who was born in the US is a son of a Lebanese couple who had emigrated from Yaroun.
The preliminary investigation revealed that he is a sympathizer of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Although the intention behind the attack is not clear, it is believed that Rushdie was attacked due to his 1988 book ‘The Satanic Verses’ which had led to a fatwa by the then Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Salman Rushdie’s health status
As per Rushdie’s agent, Andrew Wylie, the author was taken off a ventilator a day after the attack and will be able to talk.
Earlier, Wylie said that the author is likely to lose an eye after he underwent surgery following the attack. He had also said, “The nerves in his arm were severed, and his liver was stabbed and damaged”.
