BRATISLAVA – In a significant ruling on Tuesday, a Slovakian court sentenced a man to 21 years in prison for the attempted assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico. The court found him guilty of a terror attack linked to the incident that occurred last year.

The shooting and consequent trial have deeply unsettled Slovakia, a member of both the European Union and NATO. Prime Minister Fico has been a polarizing figure, often criticized for steering the nation away from its pro-Western stance and forging closer ties with Russia.

The assailant, Juraj Cintula, opened fire on Fico on May 15, 2024. This alarming event took place in Handlová, approximately 140 kilometers (85 miles) from Bratislava, as the prime minister was engaging with supporters post a government meeting.

At 72 years old, Cintula was apprehended immediately following the attack and has remained in custody. During investigations, he denied being a “terrorist,” although he was charged with such.

The prime minister suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was swiftly transported to a hospital in Banská Bystrica. There, he underwent a lengthy five-hour surgery, followed by another two-hour procedure two days later. Fortunately, he has since made a full recovery.

Cintula stated his actions were driven by a strong opposition to government policies. Despite refusing to testify in court, he maintained that his motives, as previously disclosed to investigators, were genuine.

“The defendant did not attack a citizen, but specifically the prime minister,” Igor Králik, the head of the three-judge panel, said in delivering the verdict. “He was against the government, he was inciting people to overthrow the government.”

In his testimony read by a prosecutor at the trial, Cintula said he disagreed with Fico’s policies, including the cancellation of a special prosecution office dealing with corruption, the end of military help for Ukraine and the government’s approach to culture.

“I decided to harm the health of the prime minister but I had no intention to kill anyone,” he said in the testimony. He also said he was relieved when he learned the premier survived.

Cintula can still appeal the verdict but it was not immediately clear if he would do so. He was originally charged with attempted murder but prosecutors later dropped that charge and said they were instead pursuing the more serious charge of engaging in a terror attack. They said it was based on evidence the investigators obtained but gave no further details.

Government officials initially said they believed it was a politically motivated attack committed by a “lone wolf,” but announced later that a third party might have been involved in “acting for the benefit of the perpetrator.”

Fico previously said he “had no reason to believe” it was an attack by a lone deranged person and repeatedly blamed the liberal opposition and media for the assassination attempt. There is no evidence for that.

The prime minister was not present at the trial and did not immediately comment on the verdict. Fico had previously said he felt “no hatred” towards his attacker, forgave him and planned no legal action against him.

Fico returned to power for the fourth time after his leftist Smer, or Direction, party won the 2023 parliamentary election after campaigning on a pro-Russia and anti-American message.

His critics have charged that Slovakia under Fico is following the direction of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Thousands have repeatedly rallied in Bratislava and across Slovaka to protest Fico’s pro-Russian stance and other policies.