Rushdie stabbing suspect pleads not guilty to attempted murder

The man accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie at a literary event pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault charges at a court hearing in upstate New York.

Cuffed and wearing a black and white striped prison outfit, Hadi Matar, 24, was answering to a grand jury indictment after he allegedly stormed the stage at last Friday's event and stabbed Rushdie repeatedly in the neck and abdomen -- leaving the British author in critical condition.

The judge ordered Matar remain detained without bail.

Following the attack, Rushdie was airlifted to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery.

His condition remains serious but the 75-year-old has shown signs of improvement, and he has been taken off a ventilator.

The prize-winning writer spent years under police protection after Iranian leaders called for his killing over his portrayal of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed in his 1988 novel "The Satanic Verses."

Matar was wrestled to the ground by staff and audience members at the lecture, before police took him into custody.

His lawyer, public defender Nathaniel Barone, insisted on the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

He also warned against litigating the case in the press, voicing concern over an interview with Matar that the New York Post published this week.

In it Matar told the tabloid he was "surprised" that Rushdie had survived the attack.

According to prosecutor Jason Schmidt, such an interview could work against the defence: "Anytime there's a statement you're looking at the possibility of, you know, an admissions against interest."