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world news Diamars 16 augustus 2022

Iran denies involvement but justifies Salman Rushdie attack

(AP) — An Iranian of- gloated about the attempt on
ficial Monday denied his life,” Blinken said. “This
Tehran was involved in is despicable.”
the stabbing of author
Salman Rushdie, though State Department spokes-
he sought to justify the at- man Ned Price, speaking to
tack in the Islamic Repub- reporters in Washington on
lic’s first public comments Monday, condemned the Ira-
on the bloodshed. nian government for blaming
Rushdie for the attack. “It’s
The remarks by Nasser despicable. It’s disgusting.
Kanaani, the spokesman for We condemn it,” he said.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry, came
three days after Rushdie was “We have heard Iranian offi-
wounded in New York state. cials seek to incite to violence
The writer has been taken over the years, of course, with
off a ventilator and is “on the the initial fatwa, but even
road to recovery,” according more recently with the gloat-
to his agent. ing that has taken place in the
aftermath of this attack on his
Rushdie, 75, has faced death life. This is something that is
threats for more than 30 years absolutely outrageous.”
over his novel “The Satanic
Verses,” whose depiction of While fatwas can be revoked,
the Prophet Muhammad was Iran’s current supreme lead-
seen by some Muslims as er, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
blasphemous. who took over after Khomei-
ni’s death, has never done so.
In 1989, Iran’s supreme lamic Revolution, though back motivated, to complete “Even if this court were to As recently as 2017, Khame-
leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah prosecutors and Western school, to get his degree and set a million dollars bail, we nei said: “The decree is as
Khomeini, issued a fatwa, governments have attributed a job. But instead he locked stand a risk that bail could be Imam Khomeini issued.”
or Islamic edict, demand- such attacks to Tehran. himself in the basement. He met,” Schmidt said.
ing the author’s death, and had changed a lot, he didn’t Tensions between Iran and
while Iran has not focused on Rushdie was attacked Friday say anything to me or his sis- In his remarks Monday, the West, particularly the
Rushdie in recent years, the as he was about to give a lec- ters for months,” Silvana Far- Kanaani added that Iran did U.S., have spiked since then-
decree still stands. ture in western New York. dos said. not “have any other infor- President Donald Trump
He suffered a damaged liver mation more than what the pulled America out of Iran’s
Also, a semiofficial Iranian and severed nerves in an arm Village records in Yaroun American media has report- nuclear deal with world pow-
foundation had posted a and an eye, according to his show Matar holds Lebanese ed.” He also implied that ers in 2018.
bounty of over $3 million agent, Andrew Wylie. Rush- citizenship and is a Shiite, an Rushdie brought the attack
for the killing of the author. die is likely to lose the eye, official there said. The offi- on himself. A Trump-ordered drone
It has not commented on the Wylie said. cial, who spoke on condition strike killed a top Iranian
attack. of anonymity out of security “Salman Rushdie exposed Revolutionary Guard general
His alleged assailant, Hadi concerns, said Matar’s father himself to popular anger and in 2020, heightening those
“Regarding the attack against Matar, pleaded not guilty to lives there but has been in se- fury through insulting the sa- tensions.
Salman Rushdie in America, attempted murder and as- clusion since the attack. credness of Islam and cross-
we don’t consider anyone sault. ing the red lines of over 1.5 Last week, the U.S. charged
deserving reproach, blame or Flags of the Iranian-backed billion Muslims and also red a Guard member in absentia
even condemnation, except Matar, 24, was born in the Shiite militant group Hez- lines of followers of all divine with plotting to kill one-time
for (Rushdie) himself and his U.S. to parents who emigrat- bollah, along with portraits of religions,” Kanaani said. Trump adviser and Iran hawk
supporters,” Kanaani said. ed from Yaroun in southern Hezbollah and Iranian lead- John Bolton. Former U.S.
Lebanon near the Israeli bor- ers, hang across the village. U.S. Secretary of State Anto- Secretary of State Mike Pom-
“In this regard, no one can der, according to the village’s Israel has bombarded Hez- ny Blinken, while not direct- peo and an aide are under
blame the Islamic Republic mayor. bollah positions near there in ly blaming Tehran for the at- 24-hour security over alleged
of Iran,” he added. “We be- the past. tack on Rushdie, denounced threats from Iran.
lieve that the insults made Matar had lived in recent Iran in a statement Monday
and the support he received years in New Jersey with his Police in New York have of- praising the writer’s support U.S. prosecutors also say Iran
was an insult against follow- mother, who told London’s fered no motive for the at- for freedom of expression tried in 2021 to kidnap an Ira-
ers of all religions.” Daily Mail that her son be- tack, though District Attor- and religion. nian opposition activist and
came moody and more reli- ney Jason Schmidt alluded writer living in New York.
Iran has denied carrying gious after a month-long trip to the bounty on Rushdie in “Iranian state institutions In recent days, a man with an
out other operations abroad to Lebanon in 2018. arguing against bail during a have incited violence against assault rifle was arrested near
against dissidents in the years hearing over the weekend. Rushdie for generations, and her home.
since the country’s 1979 Is- “I was expecting him to come state-affiliated media recently

Five Europeans go on trial in separatist-controlled Ukraine

(AP) - Five European citizens Andrew Hill and Dylan Healy — all forces in Ukraine’s industrial east,
captured in eastern Ukraine pleaded not guilty to charges of mer- The next court hearing in their case to death for being mercenaries. All
went on trial Monday in a court cenarism and “undergoing training is scheduled for October, the Inter- three have appealed their verdicts.
administered by Kremlin-backed to seize power by force,” according fax news agency reported, citing a
separatists in the city of Donetsk, to Russian media. statement by the separatists’ court. Ukrainian social media has been
Russian media reported. abuzz with speculation that the
They could face the death pen- On June 9, the supreme court of the Kremlin may seek to use the foreign
The five — including Swede Mat- alty under the laws of the self-pro- self-proclaimed republic sentenced fighters to extract concessions from
thias Gustafsson, Croat Vjekoslav claimed, unrecognized Donetsk two Britons and a Moroccan, all of Ukraine or swap them for Russian
Prebeg, and Britons John Harding, People’s Republic. whom were captured by pro-Russian prisoners.