The trial of the man accused of attempting to murder India-born British-American novelist Salman Rushdie began on Monday in New York, according to The New York Times.
Prosecutors laid out their case against Hadi Matar, who allegedly attacked Rushdie. Several witnesses recounted the chaotic moments that followed the stabbing.
Matar, 27, is charged with attempted murder. During the prosecution’s opening statement, the district attorney stated that the attacker appeared “to be on a mission” as he rushed onto the stage to assault Rushdie.
The attack took place at the Chautauqua Institution, where Rushdie had just been introduced to speak about protecting writers from harm. He was stabbed multiple times in the head, neck, torso, and left hand, leaving him blind in his right eye and causing damage to his liver and intestines.
A jury was selected last week for the trial at the Chautauqua County Courthouse in Mayville, New York. Matar has pleaded not guilty. District Attorney Jason Schmidt plans to call 15 witnesses to testify against him, with Rushdie expected to be among the first to take the stand.
During opening statements, Schmidt emphasized the calculated nature of the attack, reiterating that Matar was “on a mission.”
Rushdie is best known for his acclaimed novel Midnight’s Children (1981), which won the Booker Prize, and The Satanic Verses (1988), a book that sparked controversy in the Islamic world.