In this courtroom sketch, Salman Rushdie testifies on the witness stand, during the trial of Hadi Matar, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025 in Mayville, N.Y. showing how he was stabbed in the eye, when he was attacked in 2022. (Elizabeth Williams via AP)

MAYVILLE – Salman Rushdie wrote a book about being attacked while at Chautauqua Institution.

On Tuesday, he recounted that day during a 90-minute court appearance.

Rushdie took the stand around 9:45 a.m. He answered questions from District Attorney Jason Schmidt, detailing various elements of the attack and injuries he sustained.

The entire time he spoke, Hadi Matar, the accused suspect, was in court as well, but didn’t appear to ever look at him directly. Instead he would just scribble on a legal notepad or continue to look down.

Rushdie was wearing a white shirt, suit coat, tie, and had glasses on. His right eye was covered by a patch.

He and Henry Reese were scheduled to hold a conversation-style lecture on stage in front of a large crowd at Chautauqua Institution on Aug. 12, 2022.

But that never happened.

“Before we were able to start having the conversation I was aware of a person rushing me on my right,” Rushdie told members of the jury. “He must have come up the stairs.”

An author of 22 books, both fiction and non-fiction, Rushdie began describing the attack. At one point he said the assailant’s eyes were “dark and seemed very ferocious to me” but the defense objected to the term and that description was stricken from the record.

Rushdie said at first, he thought someone was punching him until he saw blood pouring out on his foot, which is when he realized there was something more going on.

“Everything happened very quickly,” he said. “I know that I was struck a number of times while I was in the chair.”

Rushdie began to point to various parts of his body, starting with the top of his head, describing the injuries he sustained.

Rushdie lost sight of his right eye in the attack. While in the witness stand he removed his glasses, which included the eye patch, and faced the jury, showing them what his eye looks like today.

Rushdie noted that as he was being attacked, he tried to stand but couldn’t and fell over. He continued to be assaulted on the ground.

Rushdie credited Reese for knocking the assailant off him.

On Monday, Jordan Steves, a Chautauqua Institution employee, described how he ran toward the attacker, lowered his shoulder and knocked him off Rushdie. Steves had never spoken publicly before about his personal actions that day.

As Rushdie continued to describe his injuries and displayed his scars, he noted the injuries to his hand. He said he put his hand up in self defense when the knife went in it. “It was incredibly painful,” he said.

Rushdie spoke very clearly with a British accent. His words were articulate and to the point.

Once the attacker was subdued, Rushdie remembered various people from the audience tending to his needs, getting scissors to cut his clothes off to evaluate his injuries.

He described seeing a “lake of blood” and knew that blood was all his own. “It occurred to me quite clearly that I was dying, and that was my predominant thought,” he said.

Rushdie noted that he had major injuries to his throat and also to his tongue, which needed stitches. He speculated that he may bitten his tongue when he fell to the ground.

Rushdie noted he had two very serious slashes just above his waist, which caused some internal injuries.

While Rushdie’s legs had only minor injuries, relatively speaking, he was unable to stand due to the loss of blood.

Soon after the attack, Rushdie was flown by helicopter to UPMC Hamot in Erie, where he remained for 17 days.

He was initially placed on a ventilator, but that was removed 24 hours later when doctors determined he could breathe on his own.

Rushdie later went to New York City for physical therapy, which lasted for three and a half weeks.

After finishing in-person therapy, Rushdie said he went back to private life, but continued outpatient therapy for several months.

Now two and a half years after the attack, Rushdie said there are permanent injuries. Besides no longer being able to use his right eye, some of his fingers no longer have feeling. His energy level is lower than it used to be.

Cross examination by the defense lasted only about 10 minutes.

Assistant Public Defender Lynn Schaffer asked Rushdie if he believes in freedom of speech, due process in the court of law, and the right of counsel, to which he said he does.

Schaffer asked Rushdie if he believes that during traumatic events, a person may get “false memories.”

Rushdie agreed. As an example, he said in his mind he thought he stood up to face his attacker, but video recorded that day has no evidence of this taking place.

Rushdie said he had never met or had any contact with Matar. He said he’s never received any communication from him including written letters, electronic communication or through social media.

After Rushdie’s testimony, he was escorted from the court. County officials said he was declining to be interviewed by members of the media. The court has banned photos taken while the jury is present.

Media present Tuesday include not only local and regional, but across the globe, including Europe.