Suspect’s father refuses to speak about Salman Rushdie attack

A New Jersey police officer stands guard close to the constructing the place alleged attacker of Salman Rushdie, Hadi Matar, lives in Fairview, New Jersey, U.S., August 12, 2022. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

BEIRUT, Aug 14 (Reuters) – The daddy of a person charged with making an attempt to homicide novelist Salman Rushdie has locked himself in at his dwelling in southern Lebanon and is refusing to talk to anybody, city mayor Ali Tehfe stated on Sunday.

The suspect in Friday’s assault in New York state has been recognized by police as 24-year-old Hadi Matar from New Jersey. He has pleaded not responsible. Matar is initially Lebanese and his household comes from the south Lebanon city of Yaroun. learn extra

Tehfe stated the dad and mom emigrated to america and Matar was born and raised there, however his father returned to Lebanon a number of years in the past.

“His father is within the nation now however he has locked himself in and isn’t accepting to provide any type of assertion to anybody. We tried with him, we despatched individuals, we went and knocked the door however he isn’t agreeing to talk to anybody,” Tehfe instructed Reuters.

An official from the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah stated on Saturday the group had no extra data on the assault on Rushdie.

“We do not know something about this topic so we won’t remark,” the official instructed Reuters, talking on situation of anonymity.

Hezbollah is backed by Iran, whose earlier supreme chief, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989 pronounced a fatwa, or spiritual edict, calling upon Muslims to kill Rushdie for blasphemy.

When requested if Matar or his dad and mom had been affiliated with or supported Hezbollah, Tehfe stated he had “no data in any respect” on the political beliefs of the dad and mom or Matar.

Indian-born Rushdie, 75, was off a ventilator and his situation was bettering, his agent and a son stated on Sunday.

Reporting by Timour Azhari; Modifying by Nick Macfie

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