Slovak authorities are classifying the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico as an act of terrorism, not attempted murder, Slovakian Prosecutor General Maros Zelenka said on Thursday.
The perpetrator now faces life in prison for the crime he committed in May, and anyone who expresses public approval of the crime could also be sentenced to prison under the new classification of the crime.
Fico, a left-wing populist, was seriously wounded after being shot several times by a government opponent as he went out to join his supporters after a government meeting in the small town of Handlova. The attacker, who was arrested shortly afterwards, is currently in custody. According to a court document seen by the German Press Agency (dpa), the assailant told police that he was motivated by hatred for Fico and his government’s policies. It is not clear whether Fico will survive for several days after the attack.
Fico is now out of hospital and back home, preparing to resume his official duties in the near future. But the government says he has been permanently disabled by the assassination attempt and will need crutches to help him walk for some time. Fico blamed the opposition in part for the assassination attempt when he addressed the nation in a video message in June.
He said he had long warned of the possibility of an assassination attempt on a government politician as a result of the hatred fueled by the opposition and its pro-opposition media. After Fico won the 2023 election, opposition parties staged mass protests, denouncing his government as a “mafia” and a threat to democracy and the rule of law.
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