Overview
- The Specialized Criminal Court in Banská Bystrica, presided over by Judge Igor Kralik, found 72-year-old Juraj Cintula guilty and classified the crime as a terrorist act.
- Cintula shot Prime Minister Robert Fico multiple times on May 15, 2024, outside a cultural center in Handlová, and police detained him at the scene.
- Prosecutors argued Cintula sought to force a change of government, while the defense maintained he targeted Fico alone and that terrorism charges were inappropriate.
- The trial opened on July 8, 2025, with closing arguments on October 8, and Fico did not attend proceedings, relying on his lawyer David Lindtner.
- Fico underwent several surgeries and returned to work after roughly two and a half months; he has said he forgives Cintula and blames a toxic political climate for the attack.