Replace(1840ET): Prime Minister Fico is claimed to be enhancing, following reviews that he was in surgical procedure resulting from a number of gunshot wounds from the Wednesday assassination try. Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba has informed the BBC he “is just not in a life-threatening state of affairs at this second.” Taraba mentioned. “Happily, so far as I do know, the operation went nicely – and I assume ultimately he’ll survive.”
Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak has informed reporters in a briefing that “there is no such thing as a doubt” that the assault was a politically motivated assassination try. “The shortcoming to just accept the desire of some a part of the general public, which some group doesn’t like, is the consequence that they’ve labored in direction of right now,” he mentioned in reference to Fico’s political opponents. A video is extensively circulated of the detained suspect’s interrogation whereby the person, recognized as Juraj Cintula, confesses to saying he “disagreed” along with his authorities’s insurance policies.
Western media protection of the tried killing has been fascinating to say the least. Fico was alongside Viktor Orban a dissenter in relation to the NATO line on Ukraine.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald has commented, for instance, “Take heed to this Sky Information report on the taking pictures of Robert Fico. Not solely do they arrive near justifying it as a result of he opposes help to Ukraine, however additionally they casually suggest that he is being paid by the Kremlin. This informal accusation is so prevalent within the West, and poisonous.” The Sky phase in query which calls Fico “very pro-Russian” is under:
Unsurprisingly, Sky Information has actually justified the assassination try on Slovakian PM Robert Fico. Despicable ghouls.
Reposting it, as a result of the earlier one has “mysteriously disappeared”. pic.twitter.com/JXPGJzgnTF
— Olga Bazova (@OlgaBazova) May 15, 2024
Replace(1220ET): The identification of the shooter has been revealed in national media, and video of the particular second the pictures vary out and PM Fico went down has emerged on some social media platforms.
A number of native media reviews, citing visuals and witnesses on the scene, report that the person who shot the Slovak PM is a author and activist named Juraj Cintula.
Whereas a transparent motive has but to be established, Cintula is claimed to be a part of the pro-West and socially liberal “Progressive Slovakia” social gathering.
New: second that Slovakia was shot pic.twitter.com/KRF6h18BQ8
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) May 15, 2024
Statements have poured in from Western leaders: “Shocked and appalled by the taking pictures of Prime Minister Robert Fico. I want him power for a speedy restoration. My ideas are with Robert Fico, his family members, and the individuals of Slovakia,” NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg mentioned on X.
Pictures have emerged of the shooter being taken into custody. He additionally seems to be wounded or have suffered harm after being swiftly taken down by safety…
The Shooter who tried to Assassinate the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico earlier right now has been Recognized by Slovakian Media as a 71-Yr-Previous Poet and Member of the Professional-Western Progressive Occasion, Juraj Cintula from the City of Levice. Cintula had beforehand been… pic.twitter.com/KebqzkD5NM
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 15, 2024
And from Hungary’s Orban:
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday expressed “deep shock” over the “heinous assault towards my good friend” Slovakia’s premier Robert Fico, who was reportedly shot and hospitalised after a cupboard assembly.
“I used to be deeply shocked by the heinous assault towards my good friend, Prime Minister Robert Fico. We pray for his well being and fast restoration! God bless him and his nation!,” the nationalist fellow EU chief wrote on X.
In the meantime, Russian media and others have identified that Fico’s most controversial stance involved Ukraine and NATO funding. Sputnik has the under partial checklist of current controversies centering on the Slovak PM:
- Fico earned NATO’s ire after vowing to dam the supply of weapons to Ukraine throughout his newest run for workplace. Fico has additionally expressed dissatisfaction with Bratislava’s protection pact with Washington, promising to evaluation it.
- Fico has expressed fervent opposition to Ukraine’s membership in NATO, and mentioned he believes Russia started its navy operation on account of neo-Nazis working rampant in Ukraine.
- Fico has warned that Western navy help to Ukraine will solely lengthen the disaster and enhance the variety of victims, and has accused overseas forces of meddling within the battle, which “might have been extinguished on the very starting.”
- Fico believes anti-Russian sanctions have “negatively affected” the lives of unusual Slovaks.
- Fico has been bashed by European legacy media as a left-wing populist analogue of Hungarian right-wing populist Viktor Orban, with shops pulling out all of the stops to accuse him of “democratic backsliding” and “flouting European norms,” together with over his push to reform the prison code.
- The Slovak PM has additionally made enemies with highly effective European political and enterprise pursuits, promising to launch an impartial inquiry into the EU’s authoritarian pandemic-era insurance policies.
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Slovakia’s populist prime minister Robert Fico has been shot, in accordance with breaking information reviews, after which he was rushed to the hospital and seems to be alive in accordance with early reviews. However some reviews have listed his condition as “very critical” and that he needed to be airlifted.
In line with rising particulars in The Related Press, Fico “was injured in a taking pictures and brought to hospital. The incident happened within the city of Handlova, some 150 kilometers northeast of the capital, in accordance with the information tv station TA3.”
Native authorities say {that a} suspect is in custody. The taking pictures occurred in entrance of the Home of Tradition the place a authorities assembly was going down.
One eyewitness “noticed the prime minister being lifted from the bottom by safety guards and loaded right into a automobile and pushed away.”
A number of individuals have been greeting Fico and the second the pictures rang out, after which the prime minister fell to the bottom. The would-be murderer was then taken by police. No particulars have been launched as to the extent of his accidents.
Unconfirmed video of the quick aftermath:
Particulars on the assassination try on Slovakian PM Robert Fico:
The shooter was hiding within the crowd that had gathered on the constructing the place the Prime Minister was talking. He fired from throughout the crowd, presumably 3-4 occasions.
He then tried to flee however was apprehended by… pic.twitter.com/jS3waHm9q0
— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) May 15, 2024
He has been outspoken towards deepening Western involvement within the Ukraine battle, for which he is made many enemies and critics amongst Western allies, and naturally inside Ukraine itself.
For instance, here is how CNN final October described his ascendancy to prime minister and chief of the small NATO member state… “A celebration headed by a pro-Kremlin determine got here out prime after securing extra votes than anticipated in an election in Slovakia, official outcomes present, in what might pose a problem to NATO and EU unity on Ukraine.”
Nevertheless, at this early level a motive is unknown.
A nationwide outlet in Slovakia has reported the next unconfirmed details of his condition (machine translation):
In line with the obtainable data, which instantly started to unfold, Prime Minister Robert Fico was hit by 2-3 wounds, allegedly within the limb, chest and stomach. It’s mentioned that as much as 4-5 pictures ought to have been fired. In line with data from the PLUS 7 DAYS weekly , somebody from the gang known as out “Robo, come right here” and the taking pictures began.
“It is a gunshot wound to the stomach and arm. He is presently out of hazard. They’ll function on him,” our well-informed supply informed us at 3:30 p.m.
Some conflicting reviews say he could have been shot within the head.
In the meantime, there’s rising hypothesis that this might be linked to Fico’s contrarian stance on Ukraine towards the hawks in NATO, the place he has just one different outstanding ally…
Double your safety, Mr. Prime Minister. They’re out for blood. https://t.co/nf26dtqoaq
— Daniel McAdams (@DanielLMcAdams) May 15, 2024
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