New York authorities on Saturday barred press access to the arraignment of Hadi Matar, the New Jersey man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie in the neck, according to reports.
Matar is reportedly scheduled to be arraigned Saturday at the upstate New York Chautauqua County Jail after he was transferred from New York State Police barracks in Jamestown following the Friday attack on Rushdie.
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Matar was detained by state troopers after he allegedly ran on stage and stabbed Rushdie in the neck during an event at the Chautauqua Institution.
Rushdie, an British and American national who is of Indian descent, authored a controversial 1989 book titled "The Satanic Verses" which was critical of the Islamic faith and landed him a fatwa-ordered call for death from Ruhollah Khomeini, the former Supreme Leader of Iran.
Iran has also offered over $3 million in reward for anyone who kills Rushdie.
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Fox News could not immediately reach the New York State Unified Court System for comment, though one official reportedly told the Post that the county jail cannot accommodate press attendance.
"This is a town and village court," said Lucian Chalfen. "In that county the central location happens to be the jail. It is up to the Sheriff to accommodate if he can."
The New York Post and the Associated Press were reportedly denied access to Matar’s arraignment Saturday.
Fox News Adam Sabes, Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
