Police Press Charges Against Man Allegedly Threatening Fico in Video

Bratislava, May 15 (TASR) - Police have charged a man wielding a shepherd's axe with incitement, after he allegedly threatened Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) in a video, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) announced in his social media post on Thursday. The same charges have been pressed against another individual as well. According to the police, the accused are a 47-year-old man identified only as P. L. and a 65-year-old man, P. P. "In the first case, the accused man publicly incited the committing of a criminal offense or serious disturbance of public order in a video. In the second case, an identified social media user called for the physical elimination of a constitutional official by shooting," the Police Corps Presidium stated. It added that no further details can be provided at this stage of the investigation. The minister said that the current situation again shows the consequences of divisive politics and the spreading of hatred. "The video of yet another manipulated individual waving a shepherd’s axe and threatening the prime minister is a chilling indication that this dangerous trend is deepening. Even more disturbing is that such individuals are repeatedly linked to opposition parties, which, instead of clearly condemning these expressions, silently support an atmosphere of hate," commented Sutaj Estok. He urged everyone to contribute to calming tensions in society. The police also called on citizens to be cautious in expressing their opinions, both in public and online. "We are registering a high level of tension in society, which is reaching unacceptable levels and could realistically result in property damage, physical harm, or even loss of life. The police will address any form of hate speech, without exception," they declared. The interior minister added that he could not personally attend Thursday’s session of the Security Council — held symbolically on the anniversary of the assassination attempt on the prime minister and in response to rising displays of hatred — due to work obligations abroad. Earlier on Thursday, representatives of Smer-SD reported about a man who had allegedly posted hateful messages on social media and threatened the prime minister, and who, they claimed, planned to attend the government’s away-from-home session in Handlova. They linked him to the non-parliamentary 'Democrats' party. The 'Democrats' rejected these claims, calling them a gross attempt at deception and manipulative propaganda. mf