The man accused in the stabbing attack on Salman Rushdie pleaded not guilty on August 13 to attempted murder and assault charges in what a prosecutor called a “preplanned” crime, as the renowned author of The Satanic Verses remained hospitalised with serious injuries.
An attorney for Hadi Matar entered the plea on his behalf during an arraignment in western New York. The suspect appeared in court wearing a black and white jumpsuit and a white face mask, with his hands cuffed in front of him.
A judge ordered him held without bail after District Attorney Jason Schmidt told her Matar took steps to purposely put himself in position to harm Mr. Rushdie, getting an advance pass to the event where the author was speaking and arriving a day early bearing a fake ID.
