Matar rejects plea offer in Rushdie stabbing case | News, Sports, Jobs

Hadi Matar

MAYVILLE — The suspect arrested in the stabbing of an international perpetrator at Chautauqua Institution two years ago has rejected a plea deal and decided to take his chances in front of a jury of his peers.

On Tuesday, Hadi Matar was in Chautauqua County Court. He was asked to plead guilty to attempted second-degree murder, and that guilty plea would include future federal charges. Between the local and federal charges, he could face a maximum sentence of 30 to 40 years.

Instead, Matar rejected that offer. Through his attorney, Public Defender Nathaniel Barone, a counteroffer was made that would see Matar serve only 15 years in prison for attempted second-degree murder, which District Attorney Jason Schmidt rejected.

County Court Judge David Foley reviewed the details of the prosecution’s proposed plea and said he understood Matar wanted his case to go to trial.

“Yeah,” Matar replied.

Foley then announced that jury selection for the trial would begin on September 10.

After his court appearance, Schmidt said the plea offer was actually initiated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “My position has always been that I wanted Mr. Matar to be convicted on the most serious charge in the indictment… My position was firm: I advocated for the maximum sentence,” he said.

However, after the U.S. attorney’s office offered the plea deal, Schmidt said he spoke with state police and Salmon Rushdie, the victim of the attack, and both expressed support for the offer.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office has not yet charged Matar, but is exploring options for future charges.

In Chautauqua County, Matar was charged with second-degree assault against a second victim in the attack, in addition to attempted second-degree murder. Schmidt said Matar faces a maximum sentence of 25 years because the second assault charge will likely run concurrently rather than consecutively.

Matar is in his twenties and Schmidt wants the most for him. “We want to keep him out of society for even longer. I am worried about what will happen to Mr. Matar when he is released from prison,” Schmidt said.

A conviction on federal charges would likely be added to any local charges.

Barone declined to say whether he agreed with Matar’s decision to reject the district attorney’s office’s offer. “This is something that is known to Mr. Matar and myself and from the discussions we have had,” he said.

Separately, a hearing will be held on July 18, during which Barone has requested all notes, including handwritten and audio recordings, from Random House Group when Rushdie wrote the book. “Knife.”

Rushdie was attacked on August 12, 2022, while at the Chautauqua Institution to discuss the United States as a place of asylum for exiled writers and other artists and as a home for free creative expression. “Knife: Meditations after an Attempted Murder” recounts the knife attack.

Rushdie was stabbed about a dozen times in the attack. His right eye no longer functions and he has visible scars on his face and neck.

In 1988, Rushdie’s book “The Satanic Verses” A year later, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling for the death of Rushdie and the book’s publishers, saying the novel was an insult to Islam.

The federal government is reportedly considering charges in connection with the fatwa, which could include a large financial reward.

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