Shooting of Fico: Sutaj Estok Condemns Public Displays of Approval

Bratislava, October 3 (TASR) - Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) condemned displays of approval of the May 15 assassination attempt against Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) once again on Thursday, pointing to charges pressed against a man with initials J.K. [abbreviated due to legal reasons] and denouncing a performance by a stand-up comedian who joked about the shooting. "Many conspiracy theories have emerged as well, some of which have even claimed that there was no terrorist attack; that it was all staged and the like," the minister stated at a press briefing of the Police Corps Presidium. Sutaj Estok underlined that he was at the crime scene in person and saw the Prime Minister in hospital with his own eyes. The minister pointed to a man with the initials J.K., who on October 1 posted a video on a social network in which he declared that he wished the shooter had hit Fico square in the forehead. The man has been charged with participation in terrorism and might face up to 5-10 years in jail if found guilty. In addition, Sutaj Estok mentioned a performance by a stand-up comedian, who said: "This is so typical [of Slovakia], we can't even shoot our own prime minister properly." Sutaj Estok accentuated that such a joke constitutes a moral failure. "This might come off as funny, but after what happened on May 15 in Handlova, it's really not," stressed the minister. Sutaj Estok added that the police have already pressed charges against 35 individuals regarding public approval of the assassination attempt. On May 15, the prime minister was hit with multiple gunshots fired by Juraj C. in the village of Handlova and suffered serious injuries. Juraj C. is being prosecuted for an aggravated crime of terrorism. mf/df