28岁的哈迪·马塔尔在萨尔曼·鲁什迪遭刺事件的联邦恐怖主义审判中，于周二选择不出庭作证，也未传唤任何证人。[1]检控方指控马塔尔因伊朗已故领导人1989年的宗教令而对鲁什迪发动恐怖袭击。[1]法庭预计在周三进行闭庭陈词。[1]
鲁什迪在2022年于纽约州查托库亚文艺机构遭到的袭击中被刺伤15次，并因此失去一只眼睛的视力。[1]马塔尔已因州级谋杀未遂罪被定罪并服刑25年，若在联邦案件中被定罪，将面临终身监禁。[1]
Hadi Matar, 28, declined to take the stand and called no witnesses on Tuesday in his federal terrorism trial related to the 2022 stabbing attack on author Salman Rushdie [1]. Prosecutors allege that Matar launched the attack in response to a 1989 religious decree issued by Iran's late supreme leader against Rushdie's novel "The Satanic Verses" [1]. During the incident at a cultural institution in Chautauqua, New York, Rushdie was stabbed 15 times and lost sight in one eye [1]. The trial is expected to conclude with closing arguments on Wednesday [1].
Matar faces severe consequences across multiple legal proceedings. He has already been convicted on state charges of attempted murder and is serving a 25-year prison sentence [1]. If convicted in the federal case, he could face life imprisonment [1]. According to prosecutors, Matar had been researching Rushdie's whereabouts since 2020 [1].