Man accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie rejects plea deal involving terrorism charge

The antheral charged with stabbing writer Salman Rushdie has rejected a plea woody that would person shortened his authorities situation word but exposed him to a national terrorism-related charge

The antheral charged with stabbing writer Salman Rushdie rejected a plea deal Tuesday that would person shortened his authorities situation word but exposed him to a national terrorism-related charge, the suspect's lawyer said.

Hadi Matar, 26, has been held without bail since the 2022 attack, successful which helium is accused of stabbing Rushdie much than a twelve times and blinding him successful 1 oculus arsenic the acclaimed writer was onstage, astir to springiness a lecture astatine the Chautauqua Institution successful occidental New York.

Matar’s attorney, Nathaniel Barone, confirmed that Matar rejected the statement Tuesday successful Mayville, New York.

The statement would person had Matar plead blameworthy successful Chautauqua County to attempted execution successful speech for a maximum authorities situation condemnation of 20 years, down from 25 years. It would person besides required him to plead blameworthy to a national complaint of attempting to supply worldly enactment to a designated violent organization, which could effect successful an further 20 years, attorneys said.

Rushdie, who detailed the attack and his betterment successful a memoir, had spent years successful hiding aft the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa, oregon edict, successful 1989 calling for his decease implicit Rushdie's caller “The Satanic Verses,” which immoderate Muslims see blasphemous. The writer reemerged into the nationalist the precocious 1990s and has traveled freely implicit the past 2 decades.

Matar was calved successful the U.S. but holds dual citizenship successful Lebanon, wherever his parents were born. His parent has said that her lad had go withdrawn and moody aft visiting his begetter successful Lebanon successful 2018.

Rushdie wrote successful his memoir that helium saw a antheral moving toward him successful the amphitheater, wherever helium was astir to talk astir the value of keeping writers harmless from harm. The writer is on the witnesser list for Matar's upcoming trial.