Suspect Accused of Assassination Attempt on PM Appears in Court

The man accused of attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has been ordered to remain behind bars Saturday. Fico is in serious but stable condition after surviving multiple gunshots, officials said. On Saturday, Minister of Health Zuzana Dolinkova said Fico had undergone a two-hour surgery Friday to remove dead tissue from multiple gunshot wounds which had “contributed to a positive prognosis”. Slovakia’s Specialized Criminal Court ordered that the suspect remain detained amid fears he could flee or carry out other crimes if he is freed. Prosecutors have asked that the man’s name not be released but unconfirmed media reports said he was a 71-year-old retiree known as an amateur poet. Fico, 59, was shot in the abdomen as he greeted supporters Wednesday in the town of Handlova, officials said. The suspect fired five rounds, striking the prime minister multiple times, before being tackled to the ground and arrested.