Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Sami Quadri

Slovak prime minister who was shot in an assassination attempt is released from hospital

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has been released from hospital after surviving an assassination attempt.

An attacker shot Fico with four bullets at close range as he greeted supporters at a government meeting in Handlova on May 15.

The attack left Fico, 59, in serious condition, requiring a five-hour operation and another surgery two days later.

A video showed him approaching people gathered at barricades and reaching out to shake hands when a man stepped forward, extended his arm and fired five rounds before being tackled and arrested.

The country’s Specialized Criminal Court in Pezinok ordered the suspect, who’s been charged with attempted murder, to remain in custody.

Prosecutors instructed police not to publicly identify the suspect or release details about the case.

Government officials believed it was a politically motivated attack by a “lone wolf,” but later announced that a “third party” might have been involved in “acting for the benefit of the perpetrator.”

Fico’s government has made efforts to overhaul public broadcasting—a move critics said would give the government full control of public television and radio.

That, along with his plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor, has led opponents to worry that he would lead Slovakia down a more autocratic path.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.