Rushdie stabbing suspect pleads not guilty to attempted murder

MAYVILLE, United States: The suspected assailant of Salman Rushdie pleaded not guilty on Thursday to attempted murder and assault charges at a brief court hearing in upstate New York.

Speaking through his lawyer, Hadi Matar, 24, reiterated his plea of not guilty to charges he faces for allegedly storming the stage at a literary event last week and stabbing the British novelist several times in the neck and abdomen.

Thursday’s appearance at a court in Chautauqua County followed a grand jury indictment, according to county prosecutors. The judge ordered Matar remain detained without bail. He is next scheduled to appear in court on September 7.

His head bowed, Matar wore a black and white striped prison outfit with orange crocs at the hearing that drew numerous reporters. Following last Friday’s attack, Rushdie was air-lifted to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery.

His condition remains serious but the 75-year-old has shown signs of improvement, and he has been taken off a ventilator. The prize-winning writer spent years under police protection after Iranian leaders called for his killing over his portrayal of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in his novel 1988 "The Satanic Verses."