Slovak PM Fico's attacker convicted of terrorism, sentenced to 21 years

A court in Slovakia convicted the man in the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico of a terror attack and sentenced him to 21 years in prison.

A court in Slovakia on Tuesday convicted the man in last year's attempted assassination of the country's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico of a terror attack and sentenced him to 21 years in prison.

The shooting and the trial have shaken this small, European Union and NATO-member country where Fico has long been a divisive figure, criticized for straying from Slovakia's pro-Western path and aligning it closer to Russia.

Juraj Cintula opened fire on Fico on May 15, 2024, as the prime minister greeted supporters following a government meeting in the town of Handlova, about 85 miles northeast of the capital of Bratislava.

Cintula, 72, was arrested immediately after the attack and ordered to remain behind bars. When questioned by investigators, he rejected the accusation of being a "terrorist."

Fico was shot in the abdomen and was taken from Handlova to a hospital in nearby city of Banská Bystrica. He underwent a five-hour surgery, followed by another two-hour surgery two days later. He has since recovered.