Salman Rushdie, 77, testified for the prosecution against Hadi Matar, 27, accused of attempting to kill him at a literary gathering in New York in August 2022. The attack occurred at the Chautauqua Institution amphitheater where Rushdie was set to speak.
Rushdie described being stabbed over 15 times with a 10-inch knife, including multiple strikes on his eye that left him blind on one side. He recalled feeling pain and struggling to get away from his attacker before falling to the ground.
Matar, a dual US-Lebanese citizen, is accused of attempted murder and assault. He has pleaded not guilty. The trial is expected to last up to two weeks and will focus on terrorism charges related to Matar’s alleged motivation by an Iran-backed group, Hezbollah.
Prosecutors claim that Matar’s words, including “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” are evidence of his extremist views. Rushdie’s wife, Rachel Griffiths, and agent, Andrew Wylie, were in attendance at the court hearing.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/11/salman-rushdie-testify-trial