Stabbed a dozen times Friday in a cultural center in Chautauqua (United States), the writer Salman Rushdie still has a worrying state of health. His assailant, a 24-year-old American of Lebanese origin, pleaded “not guilty” to attempted murder on Saturday during his hearing before a New York judge.
At least 10 stab wounds to the neck and abdomen. Here is the report of the aggression suffered by the author of the “Satanic Verses”, Salman Rushdie, this Friday in a cultural center in the state of New York.
However, his attacker, presented Saturday in front of a judge of the county in a black and white striped uniform, pleaded “not guilty” to attempted murder despite the premeditation of his gesture recognized by the prosecutors. Originally from New Jersey, he will appear in court again on August 19.
Hospitalized Friday under respiratory assistance, the 75-year-old writer seems to see his state of health improving since his agent, Andrew Wylie, assured Saturday that his client was starting to speak again. However, he remains hospitalized in a worrying condition in Erie, Pennsylvania.
An act criticized in France but applauded in Iran
In addition to US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierres, all of the French political class was indignant of this attack. In contrast, she was well received by the conservative press in Iranwho called the targeted man “apostate and vicious”.
With this case which occupied the headlines around the world on Friday and Saturday, sales of his book “The Satanic Verses” skyrocketed these last hours.
As a reminder, Salman Rushdie has been targeted by a fatwa from Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini since 1989, when he published his controversial work called “The Satanic Verses”.