The man accused of stabbing renowned author Salman Rushdie has turned down a plea deal that included a federal terrorism-related charge, according to his attorney.
Salman Rushdie, 75, was attacked on August 12, 2022, at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York.
The suspect, Hadi Matar, pleaded not guilty to state charges of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault after stabbing Rushdie multiple times, which left the author blind in one eye.
The proposed plea agreement offered Matar a 20-year sentence for the top state charge, which carries a maximum of 25 years, as reported by the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office.
The deal also required Matar to plead guilty to a federal charge for attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, potentially adding to his prison time.
Under this agreement, Matar’s total prison term would have likely ranged between 30 and 40 years, followed by lifetime supervision upon release.
Defense attorney Nathaniel Barone told CNN:
“At this point now, we need to change our direction a little bit and start focusing on actual trial preparation,” indicating that extensive preparation would be required in the lead-up to jury selection.
Matar’s trial is scheduled for September 9, according to both his attorney and the prosecutor’s office. Initially set for January 8, the trial was delayed at the request of the defense.
Barone dismissed the notion that Rushdie’s forthcoming memoir about the attack, “Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder,” influenced the trial delay.
However, he emphasized the defense’s right to access all information related to the book’s drafting and publication under New York State Criminal Procedure Law.
Both Rushdie and Henry Reese, another individual injured in the attack, are expected to testify at the trial, the DA’s office confirmed.
Barone expressed concerns about seating an impartial jury due to the incident’s proximity to the trial location. He plans to request a venue change to ensure fairness.
Federal officials are conducting a “worldwide investigation” into Matar, who is now 26, but no federal indictment has been issued yet.
Rushdie has faced threats since his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses” was deemed blasphemous by many Muslims. The late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for his death, leading Rushdie to spend a decade under British protection.
In the 2022 attack, Rushdie sustained severe injuries, including three stab wounds to the neck, four to the stomach, puncture wounds to his right eye and chest, and a cut on his right thigh, resulting in blindness in one eye and impaired use of one hand, according to Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt.
Barone reiterated Matar’s plea of innocence, stating, “Everyone is entitled to their day in court, and there’s the presumption of innocence that’s the most important constitutional right that we can have, any one of us.”
