Slovak PM Fico Shooting Suspect Charged With Terrorist Attack

JAKARTA - Slovakia's attorney general on Thursday said the man detained in connection with Prime Minister Robert Fico's shooting would face charges on charges of carrying out a terrorist attack.

PM Fico is recovering after being shot four times from close range, as he greets his supporters at a government meeting in the city of Handlova, central Slovakia in mid-May.

As a result, he had to undergo surgery for hours, before being declared to have gone through a crisis period and his condition was stable.

A man identified by prosecutor as 71-year-old Juraj C. was detained on the spot after the attack, charged with attempted premeditated murder.

"Based on the evidence collected, the prosecuted action will further be legalized as a very serious crime in the form of a terrorist attack," Attorney General Maros Zilinka said on Facebook on Thursday, without providing further details.

The attack has highlighted the deep political polarization in the central European country.

According to court documents, the detained man said he wanted to injure the prime minister, not to kill him, because he disagreed with government policies, including canceling a special prosecutor's office and halting state military aid to Ukraine.

The defendant, if found guilty, could face life imprisonment under a new classification, according to Slovak criminal law. Previously, he faced 25 years in prison or life imprisonment.