In Pics: Infamous Assassinations Of Politicians In The 21st Century

Former US President Donald Trump was shot on July 14 during an election campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. A 20-year-old man named Thomas Matthew Crooks was a suspected in the attempted assassination. Let us look at the list of successful assassination attempts in the twenty-first century.

2022

July 8, Japan: Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated by a gunman who opened fire on him during a campaign speech in western Japan, highlighting security vulnerabilities in developed democracies.

2021

July 7, Haiti: President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by gunmen in a raid on his Port-au-Prince home, leading to indictments of several prominent figures allegedly involved in his killing.

2021

April 20, Chad: President Idriss Deby Itno was assassinated while battling rebels shortly after winning re-election, exposing the fragile security situation in the region.

2016

December 19, Turkey: Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, was assassinated by a Turkish policeman at a photo exhibit, reflecting tensions over Russia's military involvement in Syria.

2013

February 6, Tunisia: Left-wing opposition leader Chokri Belaid was fatally shot outside his home, triggering political unrest in Tunisia amid accusations of political motives behind the killing.

2011

October 20, Libya: Longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi was killed by insurgents following a NATO-backed uprising, marking a violent end to his rule and the beginning of Libya's tumultuous transition.

2009

March 2, Guinea-Bissau: President Joao Bernardo Vieira was assassinated by renegade soldiers, exacerbating political instability in the West African nation.

2007

December 27, Pakistan: Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan's first female prime minister, was assassinated by a suicide bomber during a political rally in Rawalpindi, deepening political turmoil in Pakistan.

2005

February 14, Lebanon: Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed by a suicide truck bomb in Beirut, an event that galvanizes Lebanon and triggers international scrutiny over Syria's role in the region.

2003

March 12, Serbia: Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic was assassinated in Belgrade, a stark reminder of the challenges facing post-Milosevic reforms in Serbia.

2002

May 6, Netherlands: Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn was gunned down by an animal rights activist ahead of a general election, shocking the Netherlands and igniting debates on political extremism.

2001

June 1, Nepal: King Birendra of Nepal was killed in a royal palace massacre orchestrated by his son, Crown Prince Dipendra, amid a dispute over the prince's marriage, plunging Nepal into mourning and political uncertainty.

2001

January 18, Democratic Republic of Congo: President Laurent Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards in Kinshasa, triggering instability in the DRC amid regional power struggles.

This timeline illustrates the global nature of political violence, driven by diverse motivations ranging from ideological extremism and regional conflicts to personal disputes and internal power struggles.