Salman Rushdie’s Attacker Charged With Attempted Murder, Assault In 2nd Degree

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New York: Salman Rushdie’s attacker was on Saturday charged with attempted murder and assault in the second degree.

A 24-year-old man from New Jersey, identified as Hadi Matar, stabbed Rushdie on stage yesterday when the India-born author was about to deliver a lecture.

“The individual responsible for the attack yesterday, Hadi Mattar, has now been formally charged with attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the second degree.. He was arraigned on these charges last night and remanded without bail,” Chautauqua County district attorney Jason Schmidt said in a statement.

Matar was born and raised in the US, AFP quoted the head of local municipality, Ali Qassem Tahfa, as saying.

‘The Satanic Verses’ writer remained in serious condition on Saturday.

The British author, who was under police protection for years following Iranian leaders ordering his killing in 1989, underwent emergency surgery and was placed on a ventilator yesterday.

The 75-year-old author had his nerves severed in one arm, liver damaged and likely to lose one eye, according to his agent Andrew Wylie.