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WHO chief offers words of support for Slovak PM Fico after assassination attempt

Fico was wounded in a shooting incident that happened after a government meeting in the city of Handlova in the western part of Slovakia

GENEVA, May 16. /TASS/. World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has condemned the assassination attempt on Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico and offered words of sympathy and support to his family and the people of Slovakia.

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What we know about attempt to assassinate Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico

"Appalling news from Slovakia. We condemn such acts of violence and hope for the swift and full recovery of Prime Minister Robert Fico. Our thoughts are with his family and the people of Slovakia," he wrote on his X page.

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, with wounds in a limb, the chest and abdomen. The shooter was detained. According to the Slovak mass media, the assailant was identified as a 71-year-old writer Juraj Cintula, who carried out the assassination attempt on Fico over disagreed with the government’s policy.

Fico adheres to a principled position on Ukraine, advocating an immediate ceasefire and peace talks. His government, which took office in October 2023, has halted military supplies to Kiev, but provides humanitarian assistance. The prime minister speaks out for normalizing relations with Russia.

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