Slovakia court sentences suspect in attempted assassination of Prime Minister to 21 years: Video
A Slovak court on Tuesday, October 21 sentenced Juraj Cintula, the man who attempted to assassinate Prime Minister Robert Fico, to 21 years in prison on terrorism charges.
The verdict was delivered by the Specialised Criminal Court in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia. Cintula, 72, was escorted from the courtroom by armed officers after the ruling.
Prosecutors had initially sought a life sentence, but the court granted extraordinary mitigation, reducing the punishment to 21 years. Cintula’s lawyer indicated plans to appeal, seeking to downgrade the conviction to a lesser offence involving an attack on a public official.
The trial, which began in July, featured eight hearings and drew national attention.
Fico was shot multiple times on May 15, 2024, after a government meeting in the town of Handlova. He was airlifted to a hospital in serious condition but survived after multiple surgeries.
Cintula, a former security guard and amateur poet, was arrested at the scene. Authorities described the attack as politically motivated, marking one of the most serious acts of violence against a European leader in recent years.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
