Hadi Matar, the man accused in the attempted murder of British author Salman Rushdie, appears in court for a procedural hearing at Chautauqua County Courthouse in Mayville, New York on August 18, 2022. - Matar has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder charges after being accused of stabbing British author Salman Rushdie multiple times on stage during a literary event at the Chautauqua Institution. The severely injured author is recovering and showing signs of his "feisty and defiant" self, family and friends said, after the shocking assault left him on a ventilator with multiple stab wounds on August 12, 2022. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP)

The alleged assassin of the world-renowned writer Salman Rushdie was officially charged on Thursday. The 24-year-old Hadi Matar was brought before a jury in the afternoon (local time), reports the Reuters news agency. A grand jury is called in to review evidence in possible crime cases and decide whether to press charges.

The defendant faces second-degree attempted murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, and second-degree assault, Reuters reports. The alleged perpetrator remained silent in court on Saturday, but had his public defender declare him “not guilty”. On Thursday he repeated this statement.

Second-degree murder is a separate offense in the US legal system for the death of a human being. For this, the accused in the state of New York can be sentenced to years in prison. Matar is set to be held without bail until his next court hearing in September.