A man who shot and seriously injured the Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in an attack last year has been sentenced to 21 years in prison after being found guilty of terrorism.
Juraj Cintula, a 72-year-old pensioner, fired five shots at the prime minister in May 2024 when he was on a visit to Handlova, about 180km (112 miles) from the capital Bratislava.
The gunman shot Fico at extremely close range, just as he was reaching out to shake his hand – thinking he was a supporter.
In court, Cintula denied trying to kill the prime minister, saying he had deliberately aimed away from his vital organs.
Footage from the scene of the shooting showed a man raising a gun and firing at the prime minister before being subdued by bodyguards. Other members of Fico’s security team rushed the prime minister into his car.
He was seriously injured in his abdomen and was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital for surgery, with his condition described as life threatening.
The attacker, an amateur poet in his 70s, claimed he only wanted to injure Fico in order to stop policies he believed were harming Slovakia.
The prime minister has tried to blame the opposition for the attack and for whipping up hatred, though he is known for deeply divisive rhetoric himself.
Cintula was sentenced on terror charges, with Judge Igor Kralik stating: “The court considers proven that the defendant did not attack a citizen but specifically the prime minister.”
The gunman’s lawyer had attempted to reduce the charge to attacking a public official, which has a lower penalty, but that was rejected by the judge.
Cintula’s lawyer said he would likely appeal the verdict.