Four years after being stabbed on an amphitheater stage, Salman Rushdie testified Thursday in the federal terrorism trial of his convicted attacker, Hadi Matar. Rushdie, 79, recounted the ambush that left him with life-altering injuries, telling jurors he initially thought he had been punched before realizing he was bleeding profusely.

“Then I was on the stage, lying down, with an enormous pool of blood all around me,” Rushdie testified in Buffalo, New York. “It was an enormous and expansive lake of blood.” He also removed his glasses at one point to show the jury his unseeing right eye.

Matar, 28, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges including engaging in an act of transnational terrorism. Prosecutors contend Matar was motivated by a 1989 Iranian leader's call for Rushdie's death due to his novel "The Satanic Verses." Matar was convicted of attempted murder in a state court in 2022 for the same attack, where Rushdie was scheduled to speak about threats to writers and artists. He is currently serving a 25-year state prison sentence and faces a potential life sentence if convicted in the federal case.

Rushdie, who was born in India, raised in Britain, and is now a U.S. citizen, described the attack, which blinded him in one eye, damaged his liver, and severed nerves in his arm. He also detailed his lengthy recovery and relearning of daily tasks. This is not the first time Rushdie has testified about the incident; he previously recounted the stabbing and his recovery during Matar's earlier state trial, in his memoir, and in interviews.

Matar's attorneys have argued that prosecutors cannot prove his intent or mindset at the time of the attack, which they assert is crucial for the terrorism charges. When questioned by Matar's lawyer, Rushdie stated he had no direct knowledge of the defendant's ties to terrorism but acknowledged having suspicions.

Prosecutors presented evidence suggesting Matar was influenced by comments from a former Hezbollah leader and had researched Rushdie extensively. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch stated that Matar wrote to himself, "We need to kill him ASAP," and viewed the act as part of a holy war, or jihad. Evidence also included photos and materials showing Matar's regard for Hezbollah, which the U.S. government designates as a terrorist organization, and a fake driver's license with a name similar to that of a Hezbollah figure. Matar's mother has said a 2018 trip to Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based, left him moody and withdrawn.

Iran's government has denied involvement in the 2022 stabbing. The novel "The Satanic Verses" sparked protests and led Rushdie to go into hiding for years after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a religious edict calling for his death over the book, which some Muslims considered blasphemous.

Matar, who declined to testify in his state trial, may choose to testify in the federal proceedings, according to his defense lawyer.