Slovakia PM Robert Fico injured in shooting, suspect detained

Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was injured in a shooting and taken to hospital, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday, citing local media reports. A suspect has been detained, it said.

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico walks during the European Council summit at the EU headquarters in Brussels, on April 18, 2024(AFP)

The incident took place in the town of Handlova, some 150 kilometres northeast of the capital, Bratislava, according to the news television station TA3. The shooter attacked Fico in front of the local House of Culture when he was meeting his supporters.

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Deputy speaker of parliament Lubos Blaha confirmed the incident during a session of Parliament and subsequently adjourned it until further notice.

Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova condemned the incident, calling it “a brutal and ruthless” attack on the premier.

“I’m shocked,” Caputova said, according to AP. “I wish Robert Fico a lot of strength in this critical moment and a quick recovery from this attack.”