Sir Salman Rushdie was so surprised he did not attempt to combat again after a masked man stabbed him on stage, a courtroom has heard.
The 77-year-old creator was attacked moments earlier than he was resulting from current a lecture on retaining writers protected in New York in August 2022. He was left significantly wounded and blind in a single eye.
Hadi Matar, 27, is now standing trial for tried homicide and assault. He has pleaded not responsible and mentioned “Free Palestine” as he was introduced into Chautauqua County courtroom in Mayville, New York, on Monday.
Because the opening statements have been delivered, district lawyer Jason Schmidt described a sudden assault by Matar – saying he certain up a small staircase and burst onto the stage because the occasion bought beneath means.
Each Sir Salman and fellow speaker Henry Reese – who was additionally injured – have been so surprised by the assault that they initially remained of their seats, the courtroom heard.
Mr Schmidt mentioned: “With out hesitation, this man holding his knife […] forcefully and effectively in its velocity, plunged the knife into Mr Rushdie over and time and again.”
Matar was “stabbing, swinging, slicing into Mr Rushdie’s head, his throat, his stomach, his thigh”, Mr Schmidt added.
“All of it occurred so quick that even the particular person beneath assault, Mr Rushdie, and the particular person sitting subsequent to him, Mr Reese, did not register what was occurring,” the prosecutor mentioned.
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It’s believed Sir Salman will testify throughout the trial, which is predicted to final 10 days.
The Indian-born British-American creator beforehand detailed the assault – and his lengthy restoration – in his 2024 memoir, Knife: Meditations After An Tried Homicide.
The Booker Prize winner had apprehensive for his security since his 1989 novel The Satanic Verses was labelled blasphemous by many Muslims.
The e-book led to Iran’s Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issuing a fatwa calling for his demise and Sir Salman spent years in hiding.
He has travelled freely for the previous 25 years, after Iran mentioned it could not implement the decree.
The trial is going down because the thirty sixth anniversary of the fatwa – 14 February – approaches.
Jurors can be proven movies and photographs of the assault, which ended when onlookers rushed Matar and held him till police arrived. It’s unclear what Matar’s defence can be.
