Rushdie testifies at federal terrorism trial of attacker

Four years after a stabbing attack that nearly killed him, author Salman Rushdie testified in a federal courtroom on Thursday, July 23, 2026, describing the assault that left him blind in one eye and detailing his lengthy recovery. Rushdie gave his account at the terrorism trial of Hadi Matar, the man already convicted of attempting to murder him in 2022. The federal trial in Buffalo, New York, will determine if Matar acted as a terrorist, which could bring a life sentence on top of the 25-year state prison term he is already serving.

Rushdie, 79, told the jury he initially thought he had been punched under the chin while on stage at the Chautauqua Institution, where he was scheduled to speak about threats to writers. He soon realized he was being stabbed. He described collapsing onto the stage, surrounded by what he called an enormous and expansive lake of blood. At the prosecution's request, Rushdie removed his glasses to show jurors his sightless right eye. He outlined how the attack, which involved 15 stab wounds, also damaged his liver, severed nerves in his arm, and left his left hand paralyzed for a time.

Federal prosecutors allege Matar, 28, was motivated by a 1989...