Fact Check: Video Shows Slovakian PM Robert Fico Dragged Into Car After Being Shot. Here's What Else We Found
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Claim:
A video circulating on social media in May 2024 authentically shows Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico being dragged into a car after being shot.
Rating:
On May 15, 2024, an X user posted a video allegedly showing Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico being dragged into a car after being shot several times.
"BREAKING: VIDEO OF SLOVAKIA PRIME MINISTER ROBERTO FICO BEING DRAGGED AWAY AFTER HE WAS SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES," the X user wrote.
BREAKING: VIDEO OF SLOVAKIA PRIME MINISTER ROBERTO FICO BEING DRAGGED AWAY AFTER HE WAS SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES pic.twitter.com/Sm2eSYisLe
— Sulaiman Ahmed (@ShaykhSulaiman) May 15, 2024
Similar claims appeared elsewhere on X, Instagram and in numerous Facebook posts. Together, the X posts alone had amassed more than 6.7 million views at the time of this writing.
On May 15, the Slovakian leader was shot multiple times in what officials described as an assassination attempt, as reported by The Associated Press, the BBC, Reuters, and many other credible news outlets.
Although Snopes could not determine the source of the video due to it being so widely circulated, the BBC included it in its article above, while numerous other outlets also used the footage in their coverage, such as NBC News, Euronews and CNN, as well as local media, such as The Slovak Spectator and Denník N.
In addition, a reverse-image search produced no evidence of the clip existing before May 15, therefore we have rated this video claim as "True."
Credible news outlets also posted different footage of the exact moment Fico was shot. The surroundings in that video match those in the clip of him being dragged into a car.
On May 16, Slovakia's Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kaliňák confirmed during a news conference Fico was in a stable but serious condition, at the time of this writing.
Sources:
a.s, Petit Press. 'PM Fico Shot as He Speaks to Supporters in Handlová'. Spectator.Sme.Sk, 15 May 2024, https://spectator.sme.sk/c/23330459/slovak-premier-shot-handlova.html.
Denník N. Video z Miesta Streľby Na Roberta Fica, Útočníka Policajti Spacifikovali. 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdNItSD9u-M.
euronews. Slovak PM Robert Fico Shot, in 'life-Threatening' Condition. 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjss5L28i60.
'Footage Reveals Moments before Slovakian PM Is Shot – Video'. The Guardian, 15 May 2024. www.theguardian.com, https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2024/may/15/how-the-slovakian-pm-assassination-attempt-unfolded-video.
Guardian News. Footage Reveals Moments before Slovakian PM Is Shot. 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6IaAvv2_zg.
Mahmood, Ivana Kottasová, Sugam Pokharel, Zahid. 'Slovakia's Prime Minister Fico Shot Multiple Times in "Politically Motivated" Attack'. CNN, 15 May 2024, https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/15/europe/slovakia-prime-minister-fico-shooting-intl/index.html.
NBC News. Slovakia's Prime Minister Shot and Critically Injured. 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEkzDIqAqL4.
Robert Fico Shot - Google Search. https://www.google.com/search?q=robert+fico+shot&oq=robert+fico+shot&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIGCAEQRRg9MgYIAhBFGD0yBggDEEUYPdIBCDIxMzlqMGo3qAIAsAIA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8. Accessed 16 May 2024.
'Slovakia PM Robert Fico in Stable but Serious Condition after Shooting, Doctors Say'. BBC News, 16 May 2024. www.bbc.co.uk, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-69019121.
'Slovakia's Prime Minister Is Expected to Survive Assassination Attempt, Deputy Says'. AP News, 15 May 2024, https://apnews.com/article/slovakia-prime-minister-shooting-robert-fico-handlova-bdaaf0bba01035a700145a67d871a482.
The Telegraph. Robert Fico | Slovakian PM in 'stable' Condition after Assassination Attempt. 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylN1dKS4b0c.
The Times and The Sunday Times. Slovakian PM in 'Serious but Stable' Condition after Shooting. 2024. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOh1dWI4bv0.
Urbany, Bryce. Video Appears to Show Moment Slovakia's Prime Minister Was Shot | CNN. 2024. edition.cnn.com, https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/15/world/video/video-appears-to-show-moment-slovakias-prime-minister-was-shot.
Uyanik, Ayhan, and Boldizsar Gyori. 'Slovak Leader Fico Stable after Surgery but Condition "Very Serious"'. Reuters, 16 May 2024. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/slovak-government-meet-following-assasination-attempt-pm-2024-05-16/.
