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President of Slovakia confirms PM Fico’s assailant detained — report

Zuzana Caputova called the attack on Fico an "attack on democracy," adding that such crimes are being motivated by the "hateful rhetoric"

BRATISLAVA, May 15. /TASS/. President of Slovakia Zuzana Caputova confirmed that the assailant, who shot Prime Minister Robert Fico, has been detained, the Markiza TV channel reported.

The head of state urged the citizens to refrain from making hasty conclusions over the incident and wait for the outcome of the police investigation.

The president called the attack on Fico an "attack on democracy," adding that such crimes are being motivated by the "hateful rhetoric," characteristic for the modern society.

Fico was wounded in a shooting incident that happened after a government meeting in the city of Handlova in the western part of Slovakia. He was hospitalized in a serious condition.

The Prime Minister is known for his criticism of the Western strategy regarding the situation in Ukraine. His government, which came to power in October, 2023, stopped arms shipments to Kiev. Fico also called for "standardization of relations" with Russia.

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