Salman Rushdie testifies against man charged with stabbing him

Author Salman Rushdie testifies against attacker in New York courtroom, detailing brutal stabbing in memoir, trial ongoing.

Author Salman Rushdie took the stand in a New York courtroom Tuesday (February 11, 2025) to testify against the man charged with stabbing him in a frenzied knife attack.

Hadi Matar, 27, is charged with attempted murder and assault for attacking Mr. Rushdie as he was preparing to give a speech in August 2022, stabbing him more than a dozen times. Matar has pleaded not guilty.

The 77-year-old author was blinded in one eye in the attack and spent months recovering, a process he detailed in a memoir released last year. A speaker who was to appear with Mr. Rushdie also was wounded.

Jurors in the western New York trial heard opening statements Monday (February 10, 2025), followed by testimony from staffers at the arts institution where the attack took place.

Matar has been in custody since he was subdued by spectators after the attack. He has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault.

The trial is projected to last up to two weeks. Jurors are expected to be shown video and photos from the day of the attack.

They are unlikely, however, to hear about a fatwa issued by the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini calling for Mr. Rushdie's death, according to District Attorney Jason Schmidt.