Premier's Would-be Assassin Juraj C. to Remain in Custody

Bratislava, March 24 (TASR) - The Specialised Criminal Court (STS) ruled at its non-public session on Monday that Juraj C. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons], who is accused in the case of the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) last year, will remain in custody, TASR was told by STS spokeswoman Katarina Kudjakova. The court verdict is not final, as the defendant filed an appeal against it, which will be decided on by the Supreme Court. The spokeswoman further explained that the reason for keeping the accused in custody is the fear that he might escape or continue his criminal activities. "The court hasn't replaced the custody of the accused with the supervision of a probation and mediation officer," said Kudjakova, adding that the charges were submitted to the Specialised Criminal Court on March 17. The file is composed of 18 volumes and has more than 6,200 pages. If found guilty, Juraj C. might face a life sentence. The defendant caused heavy gunshot injuries to the prime minister during the government's away-from-home session in Handlova (Trencin region) last May. He initially faced charges of a premeditated murder attempt, but the deed was reclassified in July 2024 as an aggravated terrorist attack. am/df