World
Hadi Matar declines to testify in federal trial linked to Salman Rushdie attack
Hadi Matar, 28, declined to testify on July 28, 2026, in his US federal terrorism trial linked to the attack on Salman Rushdie, ZEIT reported. Defense attorney Nathaniel Barone called no witnesses, and the court rejected a defense request to dismiss the case over an alleged lack of prosecution evidence. Prosecutors had also rested their case, with closing arguments expected Wednesday. Matar, who was sentenced in New York state court in 2025 to 25 years in prison for attempted murder, faces life imprisonment in the separate federal case.