A New Jersey man who stabbed author Salman Rushdie before a speech in Chautauqua, New York last week has been indicted by a grand jury.
Hadi Matar, 24, is scheduled to appear on the charges at an afternoon court hearing in Chautauqua County. Matar was arrested Aug. 12 after he rushed the stage at the Chautauqua Institution, stabbing Rushdie multiple times in front of a horrified crowd.
The attack sent Rushdie to the hospital with severe wounds, including a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm. It is also believed that Rushdie could end up losing an eye as a result of his injuries.
Initial charges were filed the next day, when Matar’s court-appointed lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf. The prosecutor’s office did not immediately release the new charges.
SALMAN RUSHDIE ATTACKER SAYS HE'S 'SURPRISED' AUTHOR SURVIVED
Rushdie’s life has been in jeopardy since 1989 when Iran’s supreme leader at the time, Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued an edict or "fatwa" demanding his death over the novel "The Satanic Verses," which was viewed as blasphemous by many Muslims.
A semiofficial Iranian foundation had posted a bounty of over $3 million.
Matar said in a jailhouse interview that he only read a few pages of the controversial book. He added that Rushdie "attacked Islam" and is not a "good person."
Matar also said he was surprised that Rushdie survived the attack.
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Iran has claimed it was not involved in the attack on Rushdie.
"We, in the incident of the attack on Salman Rushdie in the U.S., do not consider that anyone deserves blame and accusations except him and his supporters," Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said. "Nobody has the right to accuse Iran in this regard."
Associated Press contributed to this report
