The Slovak prime minister underwent another operation, remains in serious condition

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s prime minister underwent another operation after being shot Wednesday and remains in serious condition, the country’s defense minister said Friday.

Fico, 59, was shot several times as he greeted supporters after a government meeting in the former coal mining town of Handlova.

THIS IS A HATE NEWS UPDATE. AP’s previous story follows below.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — A man accused of attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was escorted by police to his home Friday morning, as media said it was part of a search for evidence.

Fico, 59, was shot multiple times on Wednesday as he greeted supporters after a government meeting in the former coal mining town of Handlova. Officials initially reported that doctors were fighting for his life, but after a five-hour operation they described his condition as serious but stable.

The government said on Friday that the prime minister remained in an intensive care unit at the FD Roosevelt University Hospital in Banska Bystrica, where he was taken by helicopter after being shot.

Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond. His return to power last year on a pro-Russian, anti-American platform led to concerns among colleagues in the European Union and NATO that he would abandon his country’s pro-Western course, particularly on Ukraine.

Markiza, a Slovak television station, showed footage of the suspect being taken to his home in the town of Levice on Friday morning and reported that police had seized a computer and some documents. Police did not comment. Prosecutors have told police not to publicly identify the suspect and other details about the case.

Unconfirmed media reports suggested he was a 71-year-old retiree who was known as an amateur poet and may have previously worked as a security guard at a mall in the southwest of the country.

Government officials on Thursday provided details that fit that description. They described the suspect as a “lone wolf” who did not belong to any political group, although he said the attack itself was politically motivated.

Slovakia’s presidential office said Friday it was working to organize a meeting of the leaders of all parliamentary parties for Tuesday. Incumbent President Zuzana Caputova announced the plan along with President-elect Peter Pellegrini, who succeeded her in mid-June, in a bid to ease social tensions in the country.

At the beginning of the Russian invasion, Slovakia was one of Ukraine’s happiest supporters, but Fico stopped arms deliveries to Ukraine when he returned to power for his fourth term as prime minister.

Fico’s government also pushed to overhaul public broadcasting — a move critics said would give the government full control over public television and radio. This, along with his plans to change the criminal code to eliminate a special anti-corruption prosecutor, has led opponents to worry that Fico will lead Slovakia down a more autocratic path.

Thousands of demonstrators have repeatedly gathered in the capital and around the country of 5.4 million to protest his policies.

Fico said on Facebook last month that he believed rising tensions in the country could lead to the killing of politicians and blamed the media for fueling the tensions.

Before Fico returned to power last year, many of his political and business associates were the focus of police investigations and dozens were charged.

His plan to overhaul the criminal justice system would eliminate the special prosecutor’s office that deals with organized crime, corruption and extremism.

Petr David Josek, The Associated Press