Salman Rushdie Testifies Against Attacker on Terrorism Charges

Salman Rushdie testified on Thursday in a Buffalo federal court, recounting the 2022 stabbing that he said nearly killed him and left him with a sightless right eye. He described the attack to jurors at the terrorism trial of Hadi Matar, who has pleaded not guilty. Rushdie vividly recalled the moment he felt a punch under his chin and then blood from his neck, stating, "I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me." He characterized the scene as "an enormous and expansive lake of blood."

Matar was previously convicted of a state-level attempted murder charge for the 2022 assault at the Chautauqua Institution, where Rushdie was scheduled to speak about threats faced by writers and artists. Federal prosecutors contend that Matar acted upon a 1989 directive from an Iranian leader calling for Rushdie's death due to his novel "The Satanic Verses." Rushdie, 79, stated during his testimony, "I can’t say what his ambitions or his aim was, but the wounds were dispersed across my body."

During his hour on the witness stand, Rushdie remained composed, detailing the extensive injuries he sustained. These include blindness in his right eye, damage to his liver, temporary paralysis of his left hand, and a period on a ventilator. He emphasized the severity of the attack, noting that "The knife was a millimeter from my brain." The assailant, Matar, climbed onto the stage from behind Rushdie and slashed him 15 times, eliciting gasps from the audience. Spectators and another speaker, Henry Reese, intervened to assist Rushdie and restrain Matar, who was subsequently arrested by law enforcement present at the event. Rushdie has previously discussed the stabbing and his recovery in his memoir and in interviews.