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Salman Rushdie Off Ventilator And ‘Road To Recovery Has Begun,’ Agent Says
(CTN News) – Salman Rushdie, the acclaimed author stabbed repeatedly at a public appearance in New York state on Friday, 33 years after Iran’s then-supreme leader called for his death, is off a ventilator and his health is improving, his agent and friends said.
His agent, Andrew Wylie, told Reuters he is off the ventilator. The injuries are severe, but his condition is improving.”
Police say a 24-year-old man stabbed Salman Rushdie, 75, during a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York about the United States as a haven for targeted artists.
Following the publication of his 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses,” some Muslims view it as containing blasphemous passages.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa, or edict, calling for his death in 1989.
Reuters reported that Hadi Matar, the suspect in the stabbing, pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault on Saturday.
Neither local nor federal authorities have provided any additional information on the investigation.
After the attack, Salman Rushdie was flown to a hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania, for treatment.
In a previous health update, Wylie had said he would likely lose an eye, suffer nerve damage in his arm, and have liver wounds following hours of surgery.
On Sunday, Salman Rushdie’s son said that after getting off the ventilator, his father was able to say a few words.
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