MAYVILLE, N.Y. — On Friday, jurors were shown footage capturing the harrowing moments when Salman Rushdie was brutally attacked during a public event in western New York, leaving the acclaimed writer with serious injuries, including the loss of vision in one eye. This marked the first occasion that the distressing video of the assault was presented during the trial of Hadi Matar, a 27-year-old man facing attempted murder charges.
The video, recorded by cameras at the Chautauqua Institution on August 12, 2022, depicted fleeting glimpses of Matar, dressed in black and wearing a face mask, as he violently assaulted Rushdie multiple times before bystanders intervened and restrained him onstage. Four separate video clips, filmed from various angles, provide brief looks at the severely injured author, who collapsed on the stage near his attacker.
“Medic! Medic! We need a medic!” an audience member could be heard shouting as chaos enveloped the scene. One group of bystanders worked to hold Matar down, while others rushed to assist Rushdie, bringing towels and raising his legs to help manage his injuries. Rushdie had previously described suffering around 15 stab wounds, one of which led to the devastating injury to his eye and another that pierced his hand during his attempt to defend himself. “I was dying. That was my predominant thought,” he recounted, vividly recalling blood soaking his clothing.
The video made evident how swiftly the day escalated from its intended focus. The event began with a cheerful introduction from moderator Sony Ton-Aime, who spoke from the podium ahead of a discussion on writer safety. Rushdie was scheduled to speak alongside Henry Reese, the co-founder of City of Asylum Pittsburgh, an organization supporting persecuted authors, and who suffered injuries in the same incident.
As the moderator greeted the audience, gasps and screams filled the amphitheater as the attack unfolded. Both Ton-Aime and institution staff rushed to aid during the unfolding chaos, while some audience members jumped onto the stage to help. Although the video does not clearly show Rushdie being stabbed, a voice can be heard contacting emergency services, reporting, “Someone’s been stabbed, severely. Salman Rushdie has been stabbed. Several times. On the main stage of the amphitheater.”
Throughout the viewing, Matar maintained a downcast gaze, unable to witness the disturbing footage from his position at the defense table. The court also screened a brief clip of a police interrogation with Matar, where he appeared calm and cooperative in a small room at the police barracks. During this session, he confirmed his willingness to answer questions and readily provided his personal information to the investigating officers.
Investigator Scott Mills later testified about taking a statement from Rushdie and collecting a DNA sample about ten days after the assault while Rushdie was still receiving treatment in a Pennsylvania hospital. He noted that Rushdie exhibited numerous visible injuries and was heavily bandaged, having suffered multiple stab wounds affecting his head, neck, torso, and limbs. Rushdie spent 17 days hospitalized in Pennsylvania and a further three weeks in a rehabilitation center in New York City.
The trial, taking place in Chautauqua County Court near the site of the attack, is expected to continue into the following week. It remains uncertain whether Matar will take the stand in his defense. Additionally, Matar faces federal terrorism charges linked to the assault, which allege that he was inspired by a 2006 endorsement from a Hezbollah leader of the longstanding fatwa issued by the late Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. This fatwa was prompted by the publication of Rushdie’s book, “The Satanic Verses,” which some in the Muslim community consider blasphemous.
Although the fatwa forced Rushdie into hiding for years, he had been living relatively freely for the past 25 years after Iran indicated it would not enforce the decree. The video concluded with images of Matar being escorted away, while those remaining on stage tended to Rushdie. “Given what has just happened, we would like to evacuate the hall,” an administrator addressed to the now-silent crowd. “If you’d like to contemplate or meditate or pray, we would appreciate that.”
