The man accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie at a literary event pleaded not guilty on Thursday to attempted murder and assault charges at a court hearing in upstate New York.
Cuffed and wearing a black and white striped prison outfit, Hadi Matar, 24, was answering to a grand jury indictment after he allegedly stormed the stage at last Friday’s event and stabbed Rushdie repeatedly in the neck and abdomen — leaving the British author in critical condition.
The judge ordered Matar remain detained without bail.
Following the attack, Rushdie was airlifted 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.
