The man who attempted to murder Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has been instructed to remain in custody.The Prime Minister is in serious but stable condition after being shot several times.
The prosecutors asked the court to keep the suspect in jail because they were afraid he might run away or commit more crimes.
The police were told not to share the man’s name or other information about the case. Some news reports say he is a 71-year-old retired person who liked to write poems and may have worked as a security guard at a mall in the southwest.
The government officials provided information that was the same as that description. They said the person who did it was not part of any political groups, but the attack was still influenced by politics.
The courthouse in Pezinok, a small town near the capital city of Bratislava, had police officers with helmets and masks and they were carrying guns. Reporters were not allowed to go inside, and they had to stay outside behind a gate.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in serious but stable condition after an attempted assassination. The person accused of the attack is appearing in court for the first time.
Fico had a surgery on Friday to remove dead tissue from his gunshot wounds. The doctors are hopeful for his recovery, but he’s still not well enough to go to a hospital in the capital city, Bratislava. Government ministers gave this information outside University FD Roosevelt Hospital in Banska Bystrica, where Fico was brought by a helicopter after the shooting.
“Good things have happened in Banska Bystrica recently because of the doctors, nurses, and staff at the Roosevelt Hospital,” said Defense Minister Robert Kalinak.
Fico, who is 59 years old, was assaulted while he was saying hello to his supporters after a meeting with the government on Wednesday in the town of Handlova, which used to be a coal mining town. The person was grabbed and taken down to the ground, then taken away by the police.
Slovak state media said the man accused of trying to kill Fico appeared in court and Fico’s health update was given at the same time.
The prosecutors wanted the court to keep the suspect in custody in Slovakia.
The police were asked not to tell the public about the man or share other information about the case. Some news reports say he was a 71-year-old retiree who liked to write poetry and possibly worked as a security guard at a mall in the southwest of the country, but this has not been confirmed.
The government told information that was the same as that description. They said the person who did it doesn’t belong to any political groups, but the attack itself was done for political reasons.
The building where trials happen in Pezinok, a small town near Bratislava, had police officers wearing masks and holding guns to protect it. Reporters couldn’t go in and had to stay outside behind a gate.
The police took the suspect to his home in Levice and took away a computer and some papers. This was reported by Markiza, a TV station in Slovakia. The police didn’t say anything.
The police have not said much about the case, so it’s not clear how the suspect got the gun.
In Slovakia, it’s hard to own a gun. People need a good reason and have to take a test.
As a result, Slovakia has very few people owning guns compared to other countries in Europe. According to a group that studies laws in the European Union, this country is ranked 23rd out of 27. The rate of people who own guns is 65 out of 100.
Leaders from around the world have criticized the attack and are standing by Fico and Slovakia.
Fico is a controversial person in Slovakia and other places. Last year, when he came back to power, he had a plan that was in favor of Russia and against America. This made other European Union and NATO members concerned that he might change his country’s support towards Western countries, especially when it comes to Ukraine.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Slovakia was strongly supporting Ukraine. However, when Fico became prime minister for the fourth time, he stopped sending weapons to Ukraine.
Fico’s government has tried to change public broadcasting. Critics say this would give the government complete control of public TV and radio. This, along with his plans to change the rules to remove a special anti-corruption prosecutor, have made people concerned that Fico will take Slovakia in a more controlling direction.
Many people have come together many times in the city and all over the country of 54 million people to show they are against his rules.
Last month, Fico said on Facebook that he thinks the country’s growing tension could cause politicians to get killed, and he thinks the media is making the tension worse.
Before Fico came back into power last year, many of his friends in politics and business were being looked into by the police, and many of them have been accused of crimes.
His plan to change the penal system would get rid of the special prosecutor who handles organized crime, corruption, and extremism cases.
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