An individual is detained after a capturing incident of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico

Handlova:

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico suffered life-threatening accidents when he was shot a number of instances on Wednesday. Here’s what we all know concerning the incident:

What occurred?

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, a 59-year-old four-time premier who got here again to energy after his Smer-SD social gathering gained a basic election final 12 months, chaired a authorities assembly within the central city of Handlova. Pictures had been fired after the assembly.

“There was an assassination try on Robert Fico. He was shot a number of instances and is at present in a life-threatening situation,” mentioned a press release on Fico’s official Fb web page.

Daniel Vrazda, a journalist with Dennik N newspaper who was masking the occasion, mentioned he heard 4 photographs and noticed Fico on the bottom after which being carried away.

Video footage obtained by AFPTV confirmed two guards carrying Fico by his arms whereas different guards opened the doorways to a black Mercedes limousine that sped away. 

Safety personnel apprehended a person in denims who was mendacity on the bottom in handcuffs, the video confirmed.

Fico was later transported by a helicopter to hospital in Banska Bystrica.  Slovak public tv RTVS confirmed pictures of a stretcher surrounded by safety guards being wheeled right into a hospital.

What was the official response?

Slovak President Zuzana Caputova expressed shock on the assault on her political opponent and spoke out towards what she known as a “brutal and reckless assault.”

Fico’s shut ally, Peter Pellegrini, who’s to succeed Caputova in June, has additionally condemned the “assassination try”.

“I’m horrified by the place the hatred in the direction of one other political opinion can lead,” Pellegrini mentioned on X (previously Twitter).

The parliament session in Bratislava was suspended following the assault and safety measures have been bolstered.

The Slovak opposition known as off a rally deliberate for Wednesday towards authorities plans to reform the general public broadcaster, which have been slammed by the Reporters With out Borders (RSF) media watchdog.

Reactions from leaders

World leaders rapidly condemned the assault.

“Such acts of violence don’t have any place in our society and undermine democracy, our most valuable frequent good. My ideas are with PM Fico, his household,” mentioned EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned: “Each effort needs to be made to make sure that violence doesn’t change into the norm in any nation, kind, or sphere,” mentioned Zelensky. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin known as the capturing a “heinous crime”.

“I do know Robert Fico to be a brave and strong-spirited man. I very a lot hope that these qualities will assist him to resist this troublesome state of affairs,” Putin mentioned in a press release.

(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)