Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was seriously injured in an assassination attempt early this month, was transferred from hospital to his home in Bratislava on Thursday evening to continue his recovery, according to local media reports.
Fico was flown from the clinic in Banská Bystrica to the capital, news channel TA3 reported, citing Miriam Lapuníková, the head of the Roosevelt Hospital in Banská Bystrica.
Lapuníková had previously announced that the 59-year-old would not be transferred to another hospital as he wished to be moved to home care as soon as his health allowed.
Police were stationed outside a building complex in a residential neighbourhood of Bratislava where Fico's apartment is situated to keep watch, according to public broadcaster RTVS.
The left-wing populist prime minister was critically wounded by several shots on May 15 when he stepped outside to join supporters after a government meeting in the small town of Handlová.
The attacker, who was detained immediately, is in police custody. During police questioning, the 71-year-old cited his disdain for Fico and governmental policies as justification for his actions.
This emerges from a document that the competent court sent to dpa in upon request. The document had the man's name, residence, date of birth and other identifiers redacted.
According to the document, the suspect said that he did not agree with the policies of the government led by Fico and its judicial and media policies as well as its "Judas attitude" towards the EU.
Above all, however, he wanted Slovakia's military aid to Ukraine, which had been stopped by Fico, to be continued.
That is why he had "decided to act." He did not want to kill Fico, but rather make him "unfit to continue his work," the document quoted him as saying.
It is currently not foreseeable whether and when Fico will be able to resume his official duties. He has been able to eat again for the first time in the two weeks since the crime, government representatives said on Wednesday.