Defendant in Salman Rushdie Stabbing Declines to Testify in Terrorism Trial

Hadi Matar, the man on trial for the 2022 stabbing of author Salman Rushdie, opted not to testify or call any witnesses in the federal terrorism case. His defense attorney, Nathaniel Barone, informed the court of the decision Tuesday, indicating the defense rests. Matar, who has already been convicted of state-level attempted murder, has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges, which include engaging in an act of transnational terrorism.

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At this time, the defense rests.

Prosecutors are expected to present their closing arguments Wednesday morning. Last week, Rushdie, the acclaimed author of novels such as "Midnight's Children," testified about the attack that nearly killed him and left him with permanent vision loss. He was preparing to speak about writers' safety at the Chautauqua Institution when his assailant attacked him from behind, stabbing him 15 times.

Prosecutors contend that Matar was motivated by a 1989 fatwa issued by Iran's former leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, calling for Rushdie's death due to his novel "The Satanic Verses." The book, published in 1988, sparked widespread protests across the Muslim world, with some considering it blasphemous. Rushdie, an Indian-born British American citizen, had previously gone into hiding for years.

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we need to kill him ASAP

While Iran's government has denied involvement in the 2022 stabbing, its then-Foreign Ministry spokesperson suggested Rushdie had provoked the attack. Prosecutors allege that Matar, a U.S.-born American-Lebanese citizen, acted out of loyalty to Iran and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group, which the U.S. designates as a foreign terrorist organization. Evidence presented included private notes from Matar researching Rushdie's whereabouts since 2020, containing phrases like "we need to kill him ASAP" and "become a warrior."

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become a warrior and just