The man accused of stabbing Sir Salman Rushdie pleaded not guilty on Saturday to attempted murder and assault charges as the famed author of The Satanic Verses remained in hospital with serious injuries. A lawyer for Hadi Matar, 24, spoke on his behalf during a formal hearing in a court in western New York. Matar appeared in court wearing a black and white jumpsuit and a white face mask, with his hands cuffed in front of him. A judge ordered her held without bail after prosecutor Jason Schmidt told her Matar took steps to deliberately put himself in a position to harm Sir Salman by getting a pass to the event where the author was speaking and arriving a day early with a fake ID. “This was a targeted, unprovoked, premeditated attack on Mr. Rushdie,” Mr. Schmidt said. Sir Salman suffered serious injuries and is in hospital on a ventilator and may lose an eye, his agent said.

Salman Rushdie stormed the scene

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The suspect was a “loner” who exercised a lot

Hadi Matar, who has been charged with the attempted murder of Salman Rushdie, is a “loner” who was focused on losing weight, according to one of his neighbours. They told The Times: ‘We talked about exercise, fitness and food – he wanted to lose weight as he was a bit overweight. As soon as she started working out she lost a lot of weight. “We used to go boxing together, but we didn’t spar, we did jumps, hitting a bag, not heavy stuff. “I would say he was a loner and I didn’t see him with friends and I don’t think he socialized much. You could tell by how he was.” Holly Bancroft14 August 2022 01:38 1660435260

The suspect’s former stepfather cried at the news of the attack

Hadi Matar’s former stepfather cried when he learned the 24-year-old was under investigation for the attack on Salman Rushdie. In New Jersey, Fuad Comaya told the Times: “Handy? No! Handy? Handy? Hadi is a very good boy, he is smart, he has a good heart. He wouldn’t touch anyone.” Holly Bancroft August 14, 2022 1:01 am 1660433700

Pictured: Suspect Hadi Matar appears in court

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Holly Bancroft14 August 2022 00:35 1660431916

Rushdie had begun to believe that “life was back to normal” before the attack

Salman Rushdie thought his life was “very normal again” just weeks before he was attacked on stage in New York. The author told a reporter for the German news magazine Stern that he would have been in much greater danger if social media had been around when he wrote The Satanic Verses. He said: “The fatwa is a serious matter. Luckily we didn’t have internet then. The Iranians had to fax the fatwa to the mosques. All this was a long time ago. Today my life is very normal again.” He said he was no longer afraid of “religious fanaticism”. “The biggest danger we face right now is losing our democracy,” he said. “Since the Supreme Court decision on abortion, I am seriously concerned that the US will not manage it. That the problems are irreparable and the country will fall apart. The biggest danger we face today is the kind of crypto-fascism we see in America and elsewhere.” Holly Bancroft14 August 2022 00:05 1660428417

EU chief condemns Rushdie attack

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Saturday that he “strongly” condemned the attack on author Salman Rushdie. “International rejection of such criminal actions, which violate fundamental rights and freedoms, is the only path to a better and more peaceful world,” Borel said in his tweet. Holly Bancroft13 August 2022 23:06 1660427637

The attack on Rushdie was “premeditated”, says the lawyer

The man accused of stabbing Sir Salman Rushdie pleaded not guilty on Saturday to charges of attempted murder and assault in what a prosecutor called a “premeditated” crime, as the famed author of The Satanic Verses remained in hospital with serious injuries. An attorney for Hadi Matar spoke on his behalf during a formal hearing in a court in western New York. Matar appeared in court wearing a black and white jumpsuit and a white face mask, with his hands cuffed in front of him. A judge ordered her held without bail after prosecutor Jason Schmidt told her Matar took steps to deliberately put himself in a position to harm Sir Salman by getting a pass to the event where the author was speaking and arriving a day early with a fake ID. “This was a targeted, unprovoked, premeditated attack on Mr. Rushdie,” Mr. Schmidt said. Public defender Nathaniel Barone said authorities took too long to bring Matar before a judge, leaving him “glued to a bench in the state police barracks.” “He has that constitutional right of presumption of innocence,” Mr. Barone added. Holly Bancroft August 13, 2022 10:53 p.m 1660424244

Rushdie’s injuries include a puncture wound to his right eye

Salman Rushdie’s injuries include three stab wounds to the right side of the front of his neck and a puncture wound to his right eye, the Chautauqua County District Attorney said. The author also has four stab wounds to his stomach, a puncture wound to his cheque, and a wound to his right thigh, the lawyer said. Details of his injuries were given during suspect Matar’s arraignment. Holly Bancroft 13 August 2022 21:57 1660421043

Read the latest news on the attack on Salman Rushdie here:

Man accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie charged with attempted murder

“This is the very early stage of what will always be a protracted legal process,” says the DA Holly Bancroft13 August 2022 21:04 1660416853

Justin Trudeau joins political leaders in expressing shock at Rushdie attack

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that the attack on author Salman Rushdie was a blow to freedom of expression. “No one should be threatened or harmed based on what they have written. I wish him a speedy recovery,” Trudeau wrote in a tweet. (Getty Images) Holly Bancroft 13 August 2022 19:54 1660415378

Breaking: Suspect pleads not guilty – Associated Press

The suspect in the attack on “Satanic Verses” author Salman Rushdie has pleaded not guilty in a New York court. Hadi Mattar, 24, was charged with attempted murder and assault, prosecutors said Saturday.

Man accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie charged with attempted murder

“This is the very early stage of what will always be a protracted legal process,” says the DA Holly Bancroft13 August 2022 19:29