Salman Rushdie Testifies at the Terrorism Trial of the Man Convicted of Stabbing Him

Four years after the attack, Salman Rushdie sat across the courtroom from his convicted attacker, Hadi Matar, and recounted the ambush that nearly killed him. The prize-winning author testified Thursday at Matar's federal terrorism trial, describing how he felt what he thought was a punch under his chin, only to realize blood was coming from his neck. "Soon I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me," Rushdie told jurors. "It was an enormous and expansive lake of blood."

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Soon I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me. It was an enormous and expansive lake of blood.

Rushdie, 79, appeared composed as he described the attack that blinded him in his right eye, damaged his liver, and left him with other enduring injuries. He told the jury that the knife came "a millimeter from my brain." Spectators and another speaker, Henry Reese, rushed to aid Rushdie and restrain Matar, who was arrested at the scene. Rushdie has previously described the stabbing and his recovery in his memoir and interviews.

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The knife was a millimeter from my brain.

Matar's defense argues prosecutors cannot prove his intent or mindset during the attack, which federal prosecutors say was motivated by Iran's 1989 call for Rushdie's death. Matar, who is currently serving a 25-year state prison sentence, faces a potential life sentence if convicted of federal charges, including engaging in transnational terrorism. When asked if he believed Matar had ties to terrorism, Rushdie replied, "I had no knowledge, but I had my suspicions."

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I had no knowledge, but I had my suspicions.