Attacker Who Tried to Assassinate Argentine Vice President Refuses to Testify - Reports

BUENOS AIRES (Sputnik) - The man who attempted to assassinate Argentina’s Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has refused to testify in court, the Argentine Infobae online newspaper reports.

On Thursday, Argentine police detained a 35-year-old Buenos Aires resident for attempting to assassinate Kirchner outside her home. According to local media reports, the perpetrator pointed a handgun at Kirchner, but it did not go off. The vice president was not injured during the incident.

Infobae said on Friday that the assailant, Fernando Andre Sabag Montiel, who is a Brazilian citizen, underwent a series of psychological tests that determined that he could testify.

In a later update on Friday, Infobae said that Montiel refused to testify that day. He reportedly had a bruise under his eye when he appeared in front of the judge. Asked about what happened, Montiel said he was beaten by Kirchner supporters during his arrest.

The assailant could face between 15 and 30 years in prison, a lawyer told Sputnik, specifying that Montiel can ask for deportation to his homeland after serving half the term. If he goes back to Brazil, the Argentine authorities are likely to ban him from returning to Argentina for the rest of his life.

Thousands of people gathered for a demonstration in Buenos Aires on Friday to express support for Kirchner. September 2 was declared a national day off by Argentine President Alberto Fernandez.

On August 22, a federal prosecutor requested that Kirchner, a former president, should be jailed for 12 years and prohibited from holding public office indefinitely amid corruption allegations.

Kirshner is accused of abusing her authority during her presidency in 2007-2015, to steer public contracts to Lazaro Antonio Baez, a businessman and an alleged close friend, who owns a construction company.