Shooting suspect from Slovakia claims he wanted to hurt Fico, not kill him

(May 23): A man detained in connection with the shooting death of Robert Fico said he wanted to hurt the Slovak prime minister because he disagreed with government policies and used a gun he had owned for more than 30 years, according to a court document released Thursday.

The nine-page document details the reasons why the court ordered the arrest of the 71-year-old suspect, based on interviews it conducted with authorities investigating the case.

These are the suspect’s first official comments, which were made public more than a week after the shooting that left Fico fighting for his life and requiring abdominal surgery. His condition has improved, but he is still in hospital.

According to media reports, the suspect, a former security guard at the mall, said no one else knew about his plan. A document published by the Specialized Criminal Court shows that he apologized for his actions and was ready to apologize to Fico.

Fico was shot four times at close range on May 15 in a square in the center of the city of Handlova, where the government was meeting.

The court’s decision stated that the suspect stated that he “decided to act” because he did not agree with the government’s policy, “the dismissal of the USP (special prosecutor’s office) and did not agree with the persecution of cultural and media workers, and what he mainly wanted was military aid granted to Ukraine.

Suspect’s lawyer, if contacted by Reuters, announced that she had ended the national team. It is unclear whether the suspect had a new lawyer.

The first major assassination attempt on a European political leader in more than 20 years has highlighted deep political divisions in the Central European country.

Fico’s left-wing nationalist government coalition has faced opposition protests and criticism from the European Commission over some policy moves that critics say harm the rule of law and media freedom.

His government ended the state army in Ukraine, conducted dialogue with Russia, disbanded the special prosecutor’s office for combating corruption and is reorganizing the public television and radio broadcaster.

According to the court document, the suspect, previously identified by prosecutors as Juraj C, decided to harm Fico around Monday, May 13, two days before the shooting, using a legally owned CZ 75 9mm pistol that he had had in his possession for more than three years. decades.

Arriving in front of the building at 2:35 p.m. with a pistol and two magazines of approximately 10 bullets each, the suspect and others stood at the barrier outside the square, he added.

When Fico got close, he “aimed at (Fico), specifically his lower torso,” said the court ruling, which blacked out the names of the attacker, victim and witnesses.

The warrant said the suspect stated he had no intention of killing him but “wanted to injure him and harm his health.”

The document shows that he was never treated in a psychiatric ward or subjected to any psychiatric examination.

Friends describe him as a member of a literary club and the author of several books. Video footage verified by the website shows that he has attended at least one rally of a paramilitary group in the past, but has also tried to start a political movement against violence. Reuters.