World Courant
PEZINOK, Slovakia — Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was in steady however severe situation on Saturday as the person accused of attempting to kill him made his first courtroom look.
A two-hour operation Friday to take away lifeless tissue from Fico’s a number of gunshot wounds “contributed to a constructive prognosis,” Well being Minister Zuzana Dolinkova mentioned exterior the College FD Roosevelt Hospital in Banska Bystrica, the place Fico was airlifted after the taking pictures. introduced.
Fico, 59, was attacked as he greeted supporters after a authorities assembly Wednesday within the former mining city of Handlova. The suspect was tackled to the bottom and arrested.
Fico’s situation remains to be too severe to move him to the capital Bratislava, Protection Minister Robert Kalinak mentioned.
In accordance with Slovak state media, the replace on Fico’s well being got here as the person accused of killing him made his first courtroom look.
Prosecutors requested an order from Slovakia’s Specialised Legal Court docket to detain the suspect.
Prosecutors instructed police they may not publicly determine the person or launch different particulars concerning the case, however unconfirmed media stories mentioned he was a 71-year-old retiree often known as an beginner poet who could as soon as have labored as a mall safety guard within the south-west of the nation has labored. .
Authorities authorities supplied particulars matching that description. They mentioned the suspect didn’t belong to any political group, though the assault itself was politically motivated.
The courthouse in Pezinok, a small city exterior the capital Bratislava, was guarded by officers carrying balaclavas and carrying weapons. Information media weren’t allowed inside and reporters have been stored behind a fence exterior.
Police had taken the suspect to his residence within the city of Levice on Friday and seized a pc and a few paperwork, Markiza, a Slovak tv station, reported. The police made no remark.
World leaders condemned the assault and supplied assist to Fico and Slovakia.
Fico has lengthy been a divisive determine in Slovakia and past. His return to energy final 12 months on a pro-Russian, anti-American platform raised issues amongst fellow members of the European Union and NATO that he would abandon his nation’s pro-Western course, particularly on Ukraine.
At first of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Slovakia was one in every of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, however Fico halted arms provides to Ukraine when he returned to energy, his fourth time as prime minister.
Fico’s authorities has additionally made efforts to overtake the general public broadcaster – a transfer that critics say would give the federal government full management over public tv and radio. That, coupled together with his plans to vary the prison code and remove a particular anti-graft prosecutor, has led opponents to fret that Fico will lead Slovakia down a extra autocratic path.
1000’s of demonstrators have repeatedly gathered within the capital and throughout the nation of 5.4 million folks to protest his insurance policies.
Fico mentioned on Fb final month that he believed rising tensions within the nation might result in the assassination of politicians, and he blamed the media for stoking tensions.
Earlier than Fico returned to energy final 12 months, lots of his political and enterprise associates have been on the middle of police investigations, and dozens have been charged.
His plan to overtake the penal system would remove the workplace of the particular prosecutor who offers with organized crime, corruption and extremism.
The situation of the Slovak Prime Minister remains to be severe when the suspect seems in courtroom
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