Defendant in Salman Rushdie stabbing declines to testify in federal terrorism trial

The man on trial in the stabbing of Salman Rushdie chose on Tuesday not to testify or call any witnesses in the federal terrorism case, which is expected to head to the jury as soon as Wednesday.

Hadi Matar’s lawyer told the court that the 28-year-old – who already has been convicted of state-level attempted murder charges – would not take the stand at his trial on charges that include engaging in an act of transnational terrorism.

“At this time, the defence rests,” lawyer Nathaniel Barone said. Matar has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors also rested their case on Tuesday and closing arguments are expected on Wednesday morning. Rushdie, the prize-winning author of novels including Midnight’s Children and the controversial The Satanic Verses, testified last week about the 2022 attack that nearly killed him and left him blind in one eye.

Rushdie was about to give a talk – about writers’ safety, no less – when his attacker climbed on stage behind him and stabbed him 15 times in front of a stunned audience at the Chautauqua Institution, an arts and intellectual retreat.

Spectators and another speaker, Henry Reese, scrambled to aid Rushdie and restrain the assailant, who was arrested by police officers assigned to the event. He initially gave authorities a fake driving licence but Matar soon disclosed his real name to a state trooper, according to the trooper’s testimony and body camera video.

Prosecutors contend that Matar was acting upon a former Iranian leader’s 1989 call for Rushdie’s death because of The Satanic Verses, which ignited protests across the Muslim world. Some believers considered it blasphemous because of a dream sequence featuring Islam’s Prophet Mohammed.