Trial Begins for Salman Rushdie’s Alleged Attacker Hadi Matar

Jury selection faces challenges as Rushdie prepares to testify about the 2022 stabbing that left him severely injured.

Hadi Matar, accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie in 2022, faces charges of second-degree attempted murder and assault, carrying a potential 25-year sentence if convicted.
The attack occurred during a public lecture on free speech at the Chautauqua Institution in New York, leaving Rushdie blind in one eye and with multiple injuries.
Jury selection has proven difficult, with many prospective jurors already familiar with the case through media coverage, though some have been selected so far.
Matar, who has pled not guilty, rejected a plea deal that would have required admitting to state and federal charges, including material support for Hezbollah.
Rushdie, who has lived under threat since the 1988 publication of 'The Satanic Verses,' is expected to testify early in the trial, alongside other key witnesses.