Revealed: Writer, 71, suspected of capturing Slovakia PM Robert Fico
- Juraj Cintula, 71, from Levice was identified by Slovakian media as the gunman
The man accused of shooting the Slovakian prime minister is believed to be a writer and a poet, who founded an ‘anti-violence’ movement.
Juraj Cintula, 71, from Levice has been identified by Slovakian media as the gunman in yesterday’s assassination attempt on Robert Fico, 59.
Fico was meeting a crowd of supporters in in Handlova, north-east of Bratislava, following a Slovak government meeting when a shooter whipped out a gun and let off five shots at point-blank range.
Yet, Cintula is understood to have founded an anti-violence movement in his hometown in 2015, claiming ‘every normal person rejects violence. Our goal is to unite people, preserve peace and restore democracy.
‘It is very difficult because no one trusts anyone anymore. The world is full of chaos and hatred.’
Juraj Cintula, 71, from Levice has been identified by Slovakian media as the gunman in todays assassination attempt on Robert Fico, 59
Robert Fico was meeting a crowd of supporters in in Handlova, north-east of Bratislava, following a Slovak government meeting when the shooter fired five times at point-blank range.
The man accused of shooting the Slovakian prime minister is believed to be a writer and a poet, who founded an ‘anti-violence’ movement
On its Facebook page, The Movement Against Violence describes itself as a ’emerging political party whose goal is to prevent the spread of violence in society. To prevent war in Europe and the spread of hatred.’
The last post is from April 2022, a few weeks after the start of the war in Ukraine and says:’ What Slavic brotherhood? He is only the aggressor and the attacked.’
Cintula is also believed to be linked to pro-Russian group Slovački branci, a Hungarian investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi unearthed Facebook posts reportedly showing Cintula as a sympathiser and supporter of the pro-Russian paramilitary group, known for its links to the Kremlin.
In another post, he criticised Fico’s governent for not cracking down on gambling.
‘In every city or village there is a slot machine on which gamblers masturbate for money borrowed from their whole family and acquaintances, it is tens of thousands of euros. What is the state doing about it?’ he wrote.
Yesterday his son was quoted as telling local media: ‘I have no idea what father intended, what he planned, why it happened. Maybe there was some short circuit.’
It emerged that in 2016, while working as a security guard in a supermarket in Levice, Cintula was attacked by a man and left badly bruised.
On its Facebook page, The Movement Against Violence describes itself as a ’emerging political party whose goal is to prevent the spread of violence in society. To prevent war in Europe and the spread of hatred’. Pictured: Shooter being arrested yesterday
This image taken from video footage obtained by AFPTV shows security personnel apprehending a suspected gunman after Slovakia’s Prime Minister was shot in Handlova
A TV interview with Cintula from the time shows him with a black eye in the clip he said of his attacker: ‘He was drugged. He started throwing chickens from the shelves onto the ground, then he started juggling them’
A TV interview with Cintula from the time shows him with a black eye in the clip he said of his attacker: ‘He was drugged. He started throwing chickens from the shelves onto the ground, then he started juggling them.’
The man then began punching and kicking Cintula before police arrived and his attacker was taken away.
Cintula, who was chairman of the Duha Literary Club until he left in 2016 wrote three poems which were posted onto the club’s Facebook page.
They were called Dream of a Rebel, Diptych and Wasps and he is also a member of the Association of Slovak Writers.
Cintula has also posted several political videos on YouTube and Facebook.
In one from eight years ago he said: ‘The world is full of violence and weapons. People seem to be going crazy.
‘A number of migrants are flowing into Europe, there is hatred and extremism everywhere. But worst of all, the governments of European states have no alternative to this chaos. But that’s what a person is after all.’
