Rushdie attack suspect pleads not guilty to attempted murder
Erie, United States (AFP):
The man accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie at a literary event pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges on Saturday, as the severely injured author appeared to show signs of improvement in hospital.
Hadi Matar, 24, was arraigned in court in New York state, with prosecutors outlining how Rushdie had been stabbed approximately 10 times in what they described as a planned, premeditated assault.
Author of “The Satanic Verses” and “Midnight’s Children”, Rushdie had lived in hiding for years after Iran’s first supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ordered his killing.
And while Friday’s stabbing triggered international outrage, it also drew applause from hardliners in Iran and Pakistan.
Matar is being held without bail and has been formally charged with second-degree attempted murder and assault with a weapon. Police provided no information on his background or what might have motivated him.
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