Attacks on political figures worldwide: From John F. Kennedy to Robert Fico

Slovakia's deputy prime minister provided updates Wednesday on Prime Minister Robert Fico's condition, saying that while he faced critical injuries after being shot - specifically a bullet penetrating his stomach and another striking a joint - he is now out of immediate danger following successful surgery.

In this regard, Kazinform News Agency tells what attacks on politicians in the world have been recently.

John F. Kennedy: Assassinated

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as he rode in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in downtown Dallas, Texas around 12:30 p.m. on November 22, 1963. He died in the emergency room of the Parkland Memorial Hospital 32 minutes after the attack. He is the third President to be assassinated in office since Abraham Lincoln.

Police held as the primary suspect Lee Oswald, said to be a self-styled Communist who desired to renounce his US citizenship and made unsuccessful attempts to acquire Russian citizenship.

Indira Gandhi: Assassinated

Indira Gandhi, the prime minister of India, was assassinated in New Delhi on October 31, 1984, by two of her own bodyguards. Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, both Sikhs, discharged their firearms at Gandhi as she walked from an adjacent bungalow to her office. Indira Gandhi had been shot more than 25 times. She died in the hospital without regaining consciousness.

The assassination was the aftermath of the ‘Operation Blue Star’ carried out by the Indian Army at the behest of prime minister Indira Gandhi. After the death, an uncontrollable wave of Sikh pogroms swept across the country.

Olof Palme: Assassinated

Olof Palme, the Prime Minister of Sweden, was assassinated on the evening of February 28, 1986, while walking home from a cinema in Stockholm with his wife, Lisbeth Palme. The gunman fired two shots, fatally wounding Palme and injuring his wife, who survived the attack.

The murder of Olof Palme sparked one of the most extensive and complex investigations in Swedish history. Various theories have emerged, but none have been conclusively proven.

In 2020 Swedish officials said they now believe a local man murdered prime minister Olof Palme, naming graphic designer Stig Engström who died in 2000. The prosecutor leading the investigation, Krister Petersson, said the investigation would now be closed, despite Engström’s death meaning the accusation can never be tested in court.

Yitzhak Rabin: Assassinated

On November 4, 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was shot and killed. He was killed in the Square of the Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv, as he headed to his car after a rally for peace under the slogan "Yes to peace, no to violence."

Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish right-wing extremist Yigal Amir, who was angry about the Oslo Accords, in which Rabin agreed to cede some of the territory occupied in the Six-Day War (1967) to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in exchange for peace. At the time of the murder, Yigal was a law student at Bar-Ilan University.

Vazgen Sargsyan: Assassinated

On October 27, 1999, prime minister of Armenia Vazgen Sargsyan was assassinated. He died when a group of five terrorists burst into the meeting hall of the National Assembly of Armenia and shot the country's leaders and members of parliament with machine guns.

The terrorists were led by journalist Nairi Hunanyan. Also there were his brother Karen, uncle Vram and two others. The terrorists said they wanted to “punish the authorities for what they are doing to the nation”.

Laurent Kabila: Assassinated

On January 16, 2001, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Laurent Kabila, was shot by a bodyguard at his presidential palace in Kinshasa. Kabila was flown to Zimbabwe, where he later died from his injuries.

There has been much speculation about who gave the orders it has been suggested that foreign powers may have been involved, as several neighbouring countries were involved in the DRC conflict.

Zoran Djindjic: Assassinated

On March 12, 2003, in Belgrade, Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic was killed by a sniper rifle shot. Former special forces soldier Zvezdan Jovanovic was found responsible for his murder. According to him, Djindjic was guilty of extraditing Serbs to the Hague Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Jovanovic stated that he killed Djindjic to restore a pro-Milosevic government.

Benazir Bhutto: Assassinated

Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan, was assassinated on December 27, 2007, in a gun and bomb attack during an election rally in Rawalpindi. Bhutto was leaving a rally when a gunman opened fire on her and then a suicide bomber detonated explosives, killing her along with many others and injuring many more. According to another version, the same person shot and exploded.

Despite numerous investigations, the full truth about Bhutto's assassination remains elusive.

Previously, Benazir Bhutto survived an assassination attempt in October 2007 when suicide bombers attacked a parade welcoming her to Karachi airport. More than 150 people died.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Attempted Assassination

On August 4, 2010, an attempt was made on the life of sixth president of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Hamadan. A hand grenade was thrown at his car. Several guards were injured in the explosion, but he himself remained unharmed.

Jyrki Katainen: Attempted Assassination

On October 22, 2012, during an election rally in Turku, an attempt was made on the life of Finnish prime minister Jyrki Katainen. One of the participants in the meeting with voters approached the politician and tried to stab him. At the last moment, the guards managed to knock out the knife and subdue the attacker. According to one version, the man was in an inadequate state.

Emmerson Mnangagwa: Attempted Assassination

On June 23, 2018, an attempt was made on the life of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Bulawayo. The explosion occurred at a rally at which the head of state was speaking. He himself was not injured. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and his wife sustained minor injuries.

On 27 June 2018, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces stated that they had arrested an individual on the day of the attack. Two more suspects were later arrested, but released without charges.

Nicolas Maduro: Attempted Assassination

During the parade dedicated to the anniversary of the Bolivarian national army in Caracas on August 4, 2018, there was an assassination attempt on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Two drones loaded with explosives went off near the president's stand. Neither was close enough to do lethal damage, though seven members of the Venezuelan National Guard were injured.

Mr. Maduro leveled allegations against Colombia, a neighboring country, and factions within the United States, asserting that they were behind a "right-wing plot" to kill him.

Subsequently, Interior Minister Nestor Reverol announced that six individuals had been apprehended in connection with the event. Reverol mentioned that one of the six detainees had an outstanding arrest warrant related to an attack on a military base in 2017, while another had been detained in 2014 for involvement in street protests against the government.

Jovenel Moïse: Assassination

On July 7, 2021, the residence of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was attacked, resulting in the president being mortally wounded.

The president was shot 12 times and had bullet wounds to his forehead and several to his torso. The first lady, Martine Moïse, was also shot but survived.

According to Haitian police, a group primarily consisting of foreign mercenaries, comprised of 26 Colombians and two Haitian Americans, is believed to have executed the assassination. The majority of the Colombian individuals in custody have been recognized as former military personnel, with one holding the rank of lieutenant colonel.

According to the 122-page document from Judge Walther Wesser Voltaire, made public by AyiboPost, the president’s widow, Martine Moïse, conspired with the former prime minister Claude Joseph to kill the president in order to replace him herself.

Shinzo Abe: Assassination

On July 8, 2022, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died in a hospital after being shot while giving a campaign speech on a street in the city of Nara.

The doctors said the bullet that killed the former Japanese leader was “deep enough to reach his heart”. They said no vital signs were detected by the time the former prime minister was transferred for treatment.

Security officials at the scene tackled a 41-year-old gunman, Tetsuya Yamagami. According to police statements, Yamagami confessed to the murder of Shinzo Abe, citing Abe's alleged association with a religious organization that he held disdain for. Yamagami claimed that his resentment stemmed from his mother's substantial donations to the Unification Church, which resulted in financial ruin for his family and personally affected his life.