Slovak Court to Rule on PM Shooting Case

The man who admitted to shooting Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico last year is set to hear a court verdict on Tuesday that could see him imprisoned for life.

Juraj Cintula, a 72-year-old poet, shot the nationalist and Kremlin-friendly Fico four times at close range on 15 May 2024, leaving the Prime Minister seriously wounded.

The attack occurred after a government meeting in the central Slovak mining town of Handlová, as Fico walked into the street to greet supporters. Cintula, who was detained at the scene, has stated that he intended to wound Fico rather than kill him.

“It was worth it,” local media quoted him as shouting while leaving court earlier this month after giving his closing trial statement.

The trial, held at a special penal court in Banská Bystrica, began in July. Fico did not testify in person, but a video statement he gave to investigators after the attack was played in court.

Prosecutors initially charged Cintula with premeditated murder but later reclassified the shooting as a “terror” attack, citing his political motivation. Following the incident, Cintula told police he was protesting measures taken by Fico’s government, including the halting of military aid to war-ravaged Ukraine, according to a leaked video.

Key Details of the Attack

Fico underwent two lengthy operations and returned to work two months after being shot. The 61-year-old is serving his fourth term as prime minister, leading a three-party coalition governing the EU and NATO member state of 5.4 million people since 2023.

Since returning to office, Fico’s government has launched a crackdown on non-profit organisations, cultural institutions, and some media outlets deemed “hostile,” prompting widespread protests in the heavily polarised nation.

Last month, the Slovak parliament approved a constitutional amendment limiting LGBTQ rights, as part of broader reforms that also grant national law precedence over European Union law. Fico’s close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin have also sparked demonstrations under the slogan “Slovakia is Europe”.

In his final statement, a visibly emotional Cintula said he had acted out of “moral despair”. He described his defence as “a manifesto… for all those who feel that the arrogance of power, corruption and lies has no place in the country where our children will grow up”.

Once a supporter of Fico, Cintula claimed he changed his mind when the prime minister, “drunk with power, started to bend the truth”, making “irrational decisions that damage this country”.

Describing the attack, Cintula said he had “only seconds to decide” as he confronted Fico in the crowd.

“The premier… embodied years of accumulated frustration and despair,” he stated.

Fico, in response, accused Cintula of being “a product of hatred, an assassin created by media and the opposition”.