Slovak investigators seek terrorism charges against man who shot PM Fico

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(Reuters) – Investigators have called for terrorism charges to be brought against a man suspected of attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, the country’s general prosecutor said on Wednesday, after the completion of their probe.

The suspect, who was 71 at the time of the incident last May, shot Fico four times at close range in the abdomen, leaving him in a critical condition. Fico, 60, four-times prime minister, later recovered and returned to work months later.

The attacker, identified by prosecutors as Juraj C., has said he aimed to hurt, not kill Fico, and disagreed with his policies, court documents show.

The prosecutor for the serious crimes department will decide on the next steps in the case after reviewing the investigation, the general prosecutor, Maros Zilinka, said on Facebook, adding that the investigation documents ran to more than 6,000 pages.

The attempted assassination deepened political tensions in Slovakia, a European Union member state, with Fico’s leftist-nationalist government stepping up criticism of its liberal opponents.

Since taking power in 2023, Fico has worried critics and observers with changes to criminal codes, a revamp of the public broadcaster and ending Slovakia’s military aid for Ukraine as it fights a Russian invasion.

Fico has faced large protests since January over fears that his foreign policy has become too favourable to Russia.

The prime minister has accused activists and the pro-Western opposition of seeking to whip up protests and occupy government buildings. The opposition and activists deny the accusations.

(Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague; Editing by Gareth Jones)