A court in Lviv has imposed life imprisonment on a resident of Dnipro found guilty of murdering civic activist, linguist and MP of Ukraine of the 7th convocation Iryna Farion. As reported by the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the verdict has not yet entered into legal force and may be appealed.
It was established that on 19 July 2024 in Lviv, near the victim’s home, the man fired at Iryna Farion with a pistol from a distance of about two metres, after which he fled. The victim was taken to hospital, but she died the same day from a penetrating gunshot wound to the head.
The suspect was tracked down and detained on 25 July 2024 at his home in Dnipro, and the following day he was notified of suspicion. According to the prosecution, the man committed intentional murder in connection with the victim’s performance of a civic duty and on grounds of national intolerance. The convicted man adhered to views about “national discrimination against citizens of Ukraine who speak Russian” and believed that Iryna Farion, known for defending the Ukrainian language and culture, allegedly undermined national unity. On this basis he formed the intent to kill, which he carried out by firing the fatal shot.
The accused has been charged with the intentional killing of a person in connection with his or her performance of a civic duty and on grounds of national intolerance, as well as the acquisition, carrying and possession of a firearm without the permit required by law (points 8, 14 of part 2 of Article 115, part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). From the moment of his arrest the man has been continuously held in custody and will remain there until the verdict enters into legal force.
The pre-trial investigation was conducted by investigators of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv Region with operational support from the Criminal Investigation Department, the Cybercrime Counteraction Department, the Strategic Investigations Department in Lviv Region and the Security Service of Ukraine.