Lindtner: Juraj C. Is Terrorist Who Wanted to Set Precedent

Banska Bystrica, 21 October (TASR) – The legal representative of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), David Lindtner, welcomed Tuesday's decision by the Specialised Criminal Court (STS) in the case of last year's shooting of the prime minister, TASR learned on the same day. Following the verdict, Lindtner stated that "Juraj C. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] is not a pensioner, but a terrorist who aimed to set a precedent — that political confrontation in a democratic and lawful state should be resolved through violence." "After a period of legal darkness and the legal anarchy that prevailed from 2020 to 2023, after criminal proceedings were massively influenced by political and media pressure, and after criminal law was extensively misused for political purposes, we now have a ruling that brings hope — that justice is gradually returning to the Slovak legal environment," said Lindtner. The prime minister's lawyer welcomed the court's agreement with the legal classification presented in the indictment, which defined the act as a terrorist attack. "The court ruled based on the evidence presented and, above all, on the law. I'm glad that the court adopted this legal classification," he said, adding that the court didn't succumb to indirect "political and media pressure". Lindtner also expressed support for the court's use of a special mitigating provision in sentencing, which resulted in a 21-year prison term for Juraj C. "I worked as a judge for 12 years — I would have approached it in the same way. In my view, the court correctly evaluated both the circumstances and the perpetrator's profile. I believe that the sentence is proportionate," he added. Earlier on Tuesday, the Specialised Criminal Court sentenced Juraj C. to 21 years in prison for committing a terrorist attack. The assault on Prime Minister Robert Fico occurred on 15 May of last year after an away-from-home government meeting in Handlova. The attacker fired five shots at the prime minister, causing multiple injuries. mf/df