TOI World Desk
NEW DELHI: Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico on Friday was discharged from hospital and returned home after being shot five times in an assassination attempt.
Fico was taken to his home, where he is still recovering from the attack, according to Miriam Lapunikova, the head of the hospital in Banska Bystrica.
The 59-year-old has been recovering multiple wounds after being shot in the abdomen on May 15 while greeting supporters in the town of Handlova.
The suspect is accused of murder attempt, and the country’s specialized criminal court sent him to jail.
Government representatives first stated that they thought the attack was carried out by a “lone wolf” with political motivations, but later said that they suspected a “third party” was “acting for the benefit of the perpetrator.”
Slovakia, a member of Nato and the European Union, has little history of political violence. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden joined Slovakia’s EU partners in expressing shock and condemnation of the shooting.
Fico is a dominant force in Slovakia for two decades, has drawn criticism for taking a more pro-Russian stance in the Ukraine war.
Fico was taken to his home, where he is still recovering from the attack, according to Miriam Lapunikova, the head of the hospital in Banska Bystrica.
The 59-year-old has been recovering multiple wounds after being shot in the abdomen on May 15 while greeting supporters in the town of Handlova.
The suspect is accused of murder attempt, and the country’s specialized criminal court sent him to jail.
Government representatives first stated that they thought the attack was carried out by a “lone wolf” with political motivations, but later said that they suspected a “third party” was “acting for the benefit of the perpetrator.”
Slovakia, a member of Nato and the European Union, has little history of political violence. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden joined Slovakia’s EU partners in expressing shock and condemnation of the shooting.
Fico is a dominant force in Slovakia for two decades, has drawn criticism for taking a more pro-Russian stance in the Ukraine war.