Caption to the picture, After the try, Fico was taken to the hospital, the place he was operated on Might 15, 2024
Up to date: Might 16, 2024
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was assassinated the day earlier than, is now not in a vital situation, and there’s no risk to his life. Deputy Prime Minister Tomas Taraba acknowledged this to the BBC.
“So far as I do know, the operation went nicely and I assume he’ll survive ultimately,” he informed BBC Newshour.
Taraba added that the prime minister was shot at “shut vary” and that “one bullet went by way of the abdomen and the second hit a joint.”
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Earlier, the nation’s protection minister, Robert Kalinak, mentioned that Fico was rushed to hospital and spent a number of hours in surgical procedure, the place he was “combating for his life” after being severely injured within the assault within the small city of Handlova.
The suspect was detained on the scene of the capturing.
Inside Minister Matus Sutai Estok known as it a politically motivated assassination try.
Picture copyright: Reuters
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Picture copyright: Reuters
Picture caption, The attacker was detained
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputova, Fico’s allies within the authorities and the opposition condemned the try. A lot of European politicians and President Volodymyr Zelensky additionally condemned the crime.
Fico was the Prime Minister of Slovakia from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018, and once more headed the federal government of Slovakia in October 2023.
What is understood in regards to the attacker
Police haven’t but recognized the alleged suspect. In keeping with unconfirmed native media stories, he’s a 71-year-old author and political activist.
The person will be seen on a video shared by Slovak media.
Within the footage, the person says that he doesn’t agree with the federal government’s coverage and its angle to the state media. The BBC can not affirm whether or not the individual within the video is a suspect who was apprehended on the scene of the crime, or the circumstances below which it was filmed.
The capturing occurred on the day when parliament started debating the federal government’s proposal to liquidate Slovakia’s public broadcaster RTVS.
In current weeks, 1000’s of Slovaks have protested in opposition to the proposed reform of the general public broadcaster. Nevertheless, a deliberate opposition demonstration was canceled on Wednesday after information of the capturing emerged.
picture captionFizo is being carried right into a automobile after the assassination try
In an interview with the BBC, Deputy Prime Minister Taraba blamed the “false narratives” of Slovakia’s opposition events for the capturing.
“Our prime minister has talked about a number of occasions prior to now that he’s afraid it will occur,” Taraba mentioned in one other interview with the BBC’s World Tonight programme.
In keeping with him, Fizo warned that “the false narratives which were used to assault the federal government can gas the response of the folks and result in one thing like this.”
Parliament was in session on the time of the assault, and Slovak media reported that Fico’s occasion colleague shouted at opposition MPs, accusing them of inciting the assault.
And Inside Minister Estok accused the mass media of heating up the ambiance that led to the assault.
“A lot of you may have been sowing this hatred,” he mentioned at a press convention.
Estok added that he believes that “this [спроба] the killings have been politically motivated.”
Reacting to information of the assault, Slovakian President Zuzana Čaputova mentioned what occurred was “so severe that we will not even fathom it but.”
“The rhetoric of hate we see in society results in acts motivated by hate,” she added.
Fico and Ukraine
Picture Caption Robert Fitso at a gathering with Denis Shmyhal in Uzhgorod, January 2024
Fico is understood for his place in opposition to the availability of navy support to Ukraine. The Slovak prime minister believes that the Western coverage of offering arms to Ukraine solely prolongs the battle, and that Kyiv ought to lay down its arms and negotiate peace with Moscow.
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Fico brazenly repeats the Russian propaganda narratives, below which Russia started its invasion of Ukraine.
“I say it loud and clear and I’ll do it: the battle in Ukraine didn’t begin yesterday or final 12 months. It began in 2014, when Ukrainian Nazis and fascists began killing Russians in Donbass and Luhansk,” Fitso mentioned at a rally in hometown of Topolchany in August 2023.
Through the parliamentary elections within the fall of 2023, Fico promised voters that the nation would cease offering navy support to Ukraine. His occasion gained and fashioned the federal government. Army support to Ukraine on the state degree has stopped, however the authorities has not banned the provision of weapons by personal corporations.
Protection enterprises of Slovakia are loaded with navy orders for Ukraine – this provides jobs to Slovaks. This, observers say, is a crucial issue why Fitzo didn’t cease the provision after the victory.
In January 2024, Fico declared that Ukraine was below the “absolute affect of the USA.” He known as on Kyiv to cede territory to Russia to finish the battle, and mentioned Slovakia would oppose Ukraine becoming a member of NATO as a result of such a transfer may set off a 3rd world battle.
Nevertheless, he assured at a gathering along with his Ukrainian colleague Denys Shmygal in Uzhhorod that very same month that “there are solely minor political variations between Bratislava and Kyiv”, and added that that is “part of bizarre political life”.
“We actually wish to assist you to,” the politician emphasised.
Fico then promised to assist Ukraine’s software for membership within the European Union. Slovakia didn’t block EU monetary support to Ukraine and the implementation of contracts by personal Slovak corporations for arms for Ukraine.
In opposition to the Fico authorities’s place to not present navy support to Ukraine, a gaggle led by Otto Shimko – a 99-year-old veteran of the Slovak nationwide rebellion in opposition to the Nazis in 1944 – collected 3 million euros for ammunition for Ukraine.
