The Slovak Specialized Criminal Court in Banská Bystrica has sentenced Juraj Cintula, a 72-year-old writer, to 21 years in prison, accused of attempting to kill Prime Minister Robert Fico, the Associated Press reported, BTA reports.
The attack on Fico took place on May 15, 2024 in the town of Handlova, about 140 km northeast of Bratislava. The prime minister was shot in the stomach after approaching his supporters after a government meeting. He was taken to a hospital in Banska Bystrica, where he underwent two operations - the first lasting five hours, and the second - two days later.
Cintula was arrested immediately after the attack and remained in custody until his trial. During interrogations, he denied being a terrorist, but said that he acted out of disagreement with government policy. In the courtroom, he refused to testify, but confirmed his motives expressed to investigators.
In the testimony read by the prosecution, Cintula admitted that he wanted to "harm the health of the prime minister", but that he had no intention of killing him. He even said he felt relieved when he learned that Fico had survived.
The initial charge was attempted murder, but the prosecution later reclassified it as a terrorist attack after analyzing the evidence.
The authorities initially described the attacker as a “lone wolf”, but later admitted that a third party may have been involved in preparing the assassination attempt. Fico himself accused the liberal opposition and the media of creating an atmosphere of hatred, but stated that he forgives his attacker and has no intention of seeking a legal rematch.
Fico did not attend the court hearings. The verdict is subject to appeal.