 The man charged with attacking Salman Rushdie two years ago rejected a plea deal. 26-year-old Hani Mattar has been jailed without bail since 2022, accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie more than a dozen times and blinding him in one eye during a speaking appearance in western New York. Mattar's lawyer says his client is rejecting a plea deal that would have meant a guilty plea to attempted murder in exchange for a maximum state prison sentence of 20 years, down from 25. It would have also required Mattar to plead guilty to a federal terrorism charge, which could have meant an additional 20 years.