The National Police has completed the pre-trial investigation in the murder case of prominent public activist Iryna Farion. The suspect, an 18-year-old resident of Dnipro, faces charges of premeditated murder motivated by national intolerance and illegal handling of firearms. The case has been referred to court.
Crime Details
Investigators revealed that the suspect, a participant in online groups promoting violence, cruelty, and national, racial, and religious intolerance, joined another community in 2024 linked to a Russian neo-Nazi organization. These associations influenced his hostility toward Iryna Farion due to her advocacy for the Ukrainian language and culture. He accused her of “dividing national unity,” which led him to plan her murder.
The suspect meticulously prepared for the crime, gathering information about her residence and workplace, monitoring her activities, creating a detailed murder plan, and acquiring a firearm.
On July 19, 2024, around 7:20 PM, in the courtyard of her home on Masaryka Street in Lviv, he approached and shot her in the head. Farion succumbed to her injuries in the hospital later that evening.
Arrest and Trial
On July 25, law enforcement apprehended the suspect in Dnipro under Article 208 of Ukraine’s Criminal Procedure Code.
Investigators in Lviv, under the guidance of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, reclassified the crime. On December 25, they submitted the indictment to court under the following articles of Ukraine’s Criminal Code:
- Part 1 of Article 263 – Illegal handling of weapons, ammunition, or explosives;
- Points 8 and 14, Part 2 of Article 115 – Premeditated murder of a person due to their public duties, motivated by national intolerance.
The suspect faces life imprisonment.