Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Slovakian Court Sentences Man to 21 Years


(MENAFN) A 72-year-old man was sentenced to 21 years in prison by a Slovakian court on Tuesday for attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Robert Fico in May 2024.

The court found Juraj Cintula guilty of committing a terrorist attack, as reported by a news agency. Cintula shot and injured Fico in a failed assassination attempt in Handlova, a central Slovak city, on May 15, 2024.

Despite the severity of the crime, the Specialized Criminal Court imposed a 21-year sentence, which is not yet final. Cintula has the option to appeal the ruling.

Initially, the defendant was facing a life sentence, but the court applied special mitigating factors in his case.

The judges took into account Cintula's advanced age, lack of previous criminal history, and poor health in reducing the sentence.

While prosecutors firmly argued that Cintula's actions clearly constituted a terrorist attack, his defense lawyer sought to have the charge reclassified as a lesser offense involving harm to a public official.

The trial commenced on July 8 and involved eight main hearings, ultimately leading to the conviction of the accused.

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