Slovakian politicians report rise in threats after attack on PM Fico

BRATISLAVA — Following the assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, there has been an increase in threats against other politicians in the country, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok told the daily newspaper Pravda on Saturday.

He said he personally had received death threats. The minister belongs to the second-largest governing party, Voice-Social Democracy (Hlas-SD).

A member of parliament from Smer, the largest governing party led by Fico, had also been threatened. A perpetrator has been identified in both cases.

Earlier, death threats against liberal opposition leader Michal Simecka and his family had already been made public.

Apart from specific death threats, the number of aggressive comments on social media has also increased significantly, Slovakian media reported, citing experts.

Meanwhile, Fico, 59, who was critically injured by several shots on Wednesday, remained in the intensive care unit of a regional hospital on Saturday.

A panel of doctors is to decide on Monday whether the Prime Minister should be transferred to the capital, Bratislava.

Moreover, on Saturday, a court is expected to decide whether the 71-year-old suspect in the assassination attempt should be held in pre-trial detention.