Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Wednesday that he forgives the man who tried to assassinate him last month following a Cabinet meeting.
“I feel no hatred towards the stranger who shot me,” Fico said in a video posted to Facebook. “I forgive him and let him sort out what he did and why he did it in his own head.”
The 59-year-old prime minister was hit in the abdomen May 15 after five shots were fired outside Handlova’s House of Culture, where Fico was meeting with supporters.
He was transported by helicopter to Banská Bystrica, the regional capital, where he underwent several hours of surgery.
Slovak media identified the accused gunman as 71-year-old poet Juraj Cintula. Police charged Cintula with attempted murder a day after the attack.
The prime minister said in the video that he will soon be able to return to his responsibilities later this month.
“If everything goes as planned, I could gradually return to work at the turn of June and July,” he said.
Some information for this report was provided by Agence France-Presse.
