Key facts
- Hadi Matar, the defendant in the stabbing of Salman Rushdie, will not testify.
- Matar will also not call any witnesses in his defense.
- The jury is expected to begin deliberations soon.
Hadi Matar, the individual accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie, has decided not to testify in his own defense during the federal terrorism trial. Matar will also forgo calling any witnesses, signaling that his legal team believes the evidence presented is insufficient to secure a conviction.
The decision means the jury will soon begin deliberations to determine Matar's guilt. The trial has focused on the events of August 12, 2022, when Rushdie was attacked on stage at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York.