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- Suspect in shooting of Slovakia's populist leader Fico stands trial on terror charges</p>
<p>July 8, 2025 at 2:46 AM</p>
<p>1 / 2Slovakia Fico ShootingJuraj Cintula, center, is escorted to the Specialized Criminal Court in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia Tuesday, July 8, 2025, for a trial over last year's attempted assassination of Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. (Vaclav Salek/CTK via AP)</p>
<p>BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — A man went on trial Tuesday over last year's attempted assassination of Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico.</p>
<p>Juraj Cintula, appearing in court in the central city of Banská Bystrica, has been indicted on terror charges.</p>
<p>"Long live democracy, long live free culture," Cintula shouted as he arrived at the Specialized Criminal Court.</p>
<p>The 72-year-old is accused of opening fire on Fico on May 15, 2024, as the prime minister greeted supporters following a government meeting in the town of Handlová, located 140 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of the capital.</p>
<p>Cintula was immediately arrested and was ordered by a court to remain behind bars. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment.</p>
<p>Fico was shot in the abdomen and was transported to a hospital in nearby Banská Bystrica. He underwent a five-hour surgery, followed by another two-hour surgery two days later. He has since recovered.</p>
<p>Cintula originally was charged with attempted murder. Prosecutors later dropped that charge and said they were instead pursuing the more serious charge of engaging in a terror attack, based on evidence the investigators obtained, but they gave no further details.</p>
<p>Government officials initially said that they believed it was a politically motivated attack committed by a "lone wolf," but announced later that a third party might have been involved in "acting for the benefit of the perpetrator."</p>
<p>Fico previously said he "had no reason to believe" that it was an attack by a lone deranged person and repeatedly blamed the liberal opposition and media for the assassination attempt.</p>
<p>Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond. He returned to power for the fourth time after his leftist Smer, or Direction, party won the 2023 parliamentary election after campaigning on a pro-Russia and anti-American message.</p>
<p>His critics have charged that Slovakia under Fico has abandoned its pro-Western course and is following the direction of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.</p>
<p>Thousands have repeatedly rallied in the capital and across Slovakia to protest Fico's pro-Russian stance and other policies.</p>
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