Jury selection began in the trial of Hadi Matar, who is charged with attacking Salman Rushdie in 2022. Rushdie, who is expected to testify, detailed the attack and its aftermath in his memoir 'Knife'.
Hadi Matar , the man charged with severely injuring author Salman Rushdie in a 2022 knife attack, appeared in Chautauqua County court on February 4th for the start of jury selection. In 2022, Rushdie was about to deliver a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York when Matar, then 24, rushed the stage and stabbed him multiple times. Rushdie described the attack in his subsequent memoir, 'Knife,' detailing the pain and lasting impact on his body.
Rushdie is expected to be one of the first witnesses in Matar's trial, which is projected to last several weeks. Matar, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault, faces a separate federal trial on terrorism charges related to the alleged attack. Prosecutors in the state case claim the attack was a localized incident and the motive is less important than the act itself. They intend to rely heavily on video and photographic evidence of the attack, which was witnessed by thousands.The defense, however, argues that Matar's possible motive, discussions of the fatwa against Rushdie issued by Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989, should be explored during jury selection. Matar's lawyer, Nathaniel Barone, contends that jurors should be screened for any prejudice against individuals of Middle Eastern descent, given the publicity surrounding the fatwa and its connection to the alleged crime. Matar, born in the U.S. to Lebanese parents, holds dual citizenship in Lebanon. Rushdie, a native of India, became a U.S. citizen in 2016. Matar has been held without bail since his arrest following the attack
Salman Rushdie Hadi Matar Attack Trial Chautauqua County Knife Fatwa Terrorism
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