A court in Slovakia sentenced Juraj Cintula to 21 years in prison for the terrorist attack on Prime Minister Robert Fitz, which took place on May 15, 2024 in the town of Handlova. Cintula (72), who was immediately arrested after opening fire on the prime minister, was found guilty before the Specialized Criminal Court in Banska Bystrica. Both the accused and the prosecution have the right to appeal.
Fico was seriously wounded in the stomach area while greeting the citizens after the Government session. After the incident, he was taken to the hospital, where he underwent two operations. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has recovered.
Cintula, who did not plead before the court during the trial, confirmed an earlier statement given to the investigators in which he stated that he decided to attack because of his disagreement with the Government’s policies, especially the shutdown of the special prosecutor’s office for the fight against corruption, the suspension of military aid to Ukraine and the Government’s attitude towards cultural issues.
– My intention was to damage the prime minister’s health, but I had no intention of killing him – he stated in the statement read by the prosecutor, adding that he felt relieved when he found out that Fico survived.
Although he was initially charged with attempted murder, the prosecution subsequently reclassified the indictment to a terrorist attack, citing evidence gathered during the investigation, but those details have not been made public.
Although the authorities initially claimed that it was the work of a “lone wolf”, they later hinted at the possibility of a third party role that could have “acted in favor of the perpetrators”. Fico repeatedly publicly accused the liberal opposition and the media of creating the atmosphere that led to the assassination attempt, although there is no evidence for such claims.
The Prime Minister did not attend the trial, and previously stated that he does not feel hatred towards the attacker, that he has forgiven him and that he does not plan to initiate legal proceedings against him.
Robert Fico, known as a controversial figure in Slovak politics, returned to power for the fourth time after his Smer (Direction) party won the 2023 parliamentary elections, with clear pro-Russian and anti-American rhetoric. Critics claim that under his leadership, Slovakia has abandoned a pro-Western course and is increasingly following the model of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, which has sparked numerous protests across the country.
(Vijesti.ba)
