New York, United States

On Thursday, Hadi Matar, the man accused of stabbing novelist Salman Rushdie pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and assault. 

Advertisment

The 24-year-old suspect is accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie, 75, last week as the author prepared to give a speech on artistic freedom at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York state.

As per Reuters, a grand jury has indicted Matar on two counts: attempted second-degree murder, which carries a potential sentence of 25 years in jail, and another of second-degree assault.

Watch | Rushdie attacker's mother hints at radicalisation, says her son is ‘responsible for his actions’

Advertisment

Rushdie sustained multiple stabbing wounds on his neck and abdomen.

According to Rushdie's representative, the attack left him with serious wounds, including nerve damage to his arm, liver injuries, and the potential loss of an eye.

Advertisment

Also read | Salman Rushdie on ventilator after attack, police identify man who stabbed the author

Matar was tried at the Chautauqua County Courthouse on these charges and has been in detention since his capture.

The attack happened 33 years after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the supreme leader of Iran at the time, issued a religious decree, or fatwa, denouncing Rushdie for his novel "The Satanic Verses." 

Also read | Salman Rushdie attack reactions: 'Your words are stronger than their weapons, therefore they attack you'

Khomeini called on Muslims around the world to execute Rushdie because of a number of passages and statements he made about the Prophet Muhammad that some have deemed heretical and blasphemous.

In an interview with the New York Post that was published on Wednesday that Matar said that he respected Khomeini, but refused to confirm whether or not the fatwa was the source of his inspiration. He claimed to have "read a couple of pages" of "The Satanic Verses" and to have seen the author's YouTube videos.

Matar, as quoted by the Post, remarked about Rushdie, "I don't like him very much." 

"He's someone who attacked Islam, he attacked their beliefs, the belief systems."

(With inputs from agencies)

Watch WION LIVE HERE:

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.