Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - Since last week's assassination attempt on Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD), the National Crime Agency (NAKA) has registered 153 instances of information or motions related to approval of the attempt or hate speech, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) announced at a news conference held jointly with Police Corps president Lubomir Solak on Friday.

The police have already identified the authors of posts in 55 cases and are dealing with them. "It's a diverse range of people in terms of gender, level of education or jobs," stated Solak. He mentioned the case of a 40-year-old women from Nitra who has been charged and is now being prosecuted at large, a man from Dunajska Streda (Trnava region), whose house was searched and has had a motion to prosecute him in custody filed against him, and a university student from Bratislava. They are all being prosecuted for comments on social networks expressing approval of the crime. They could be sentenced to one year in prison.

The minister reiterated zero tolerance for threats, approval of crime and other expressions of hate. "We continue to carefully examine suspect posts that have been reported to us or that we've uncovered due to enhanced police deployment," he said.

In addition to hate speech related to the attack on the premier, the police are also investigating threats to President Zuzana Caputova and Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Simecka.

Sutaj Estok announced that the team investigating the attack on the premier has been expanded to include two more experts. He added that the investigation is continuing and all alternatives are being examined.