A recent appellate court ruling has denied a request to relocate the trial for the New Jersey individual accused of assaulting author Salman Rushdie with a knife in 2022. This decision allows the proceedings to continue in the western New York county where the incident occurred.

The trial for Hadi Matar, who is 26 years old, was temporarily postponed just days ahead of the planned commencement of jury selection on October 15. Although a new date for the trial has yet to be established, the court’s ruling indicates that the case will remain in Chautauqua County.

Matar’s defense attorney, Nathaniel Barone, expressed concerns over the potential for an unbiased trial in Chautauqua County, citing extensive media coverage and the demographic makeup of the locality, which is predominantly white at 93%, with a minimal Arab American population. In contrast, District Attorney Jason Schmidt argued against moving the trial.

The allegations against Matar stem from an incident where he allegedly rushed onto the stage at the Chautauqua Institution as Rushdie was set to speak, stabbing the writer over a dozen times before being restrained by bystanders.

Rushdie endured serious injuries, which included losing vision in one eye. Additionally, the event’s moderator, Henry Reese, suffered injuries as a result of the attack.

Matar has entered a not guilty plea regarding the charges of attempted murder and assault. Furthermore, he also faces terrorism-related charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty in a separate case before the U.S. District Court in Buffalo.