Half a year since the death of Farion: what the investigation has come to.

Today, January 19, marks six months since the death of Iryna Farion. On July 19, 2024, at about 19:30, Iryna Farion was shot near her home in Lviv and died in the intensive care unit. She was buried at Lychakiv Cemetery.

Investigation Versions

The police announced the possibility of several versions of the crime, including contract murder.

Among other versions were personal animosity and Farion's public-political activity.

The Suspect in Farion's Murder

An 18-year-old boy, Vyacheslav Zinchenko, who comes from Dnipro, is suspected of the murder. According to the police, in the evening of July 19, 2024, Zinchenko shot Iryna Farion in the head with a firearm of caliber 9x18. This resulted in a severe brain injury from which she died. According to the qualification of the crime, the murder was classified as a crime under Article 115 of the Criminal Code, for which imprisonment for a term of 7 to 15 years is provided.

Zinchenko did not admit his guilt in Farion's murder.

According to his lawyer Igor Sulima, the suspect was in Lviv but not at the crime scene. The lawyer refused to disclose Zinchenko's exact whereabouts.

Investigation Results

Zinchenko has been in custody since July 2024. The prosecution has completed the pre-trial investigation and referred the case to court. Zinchenko already faces life imprisonment.

Based on the collected evidence, the qualification of the crime has been changed. Zinchenko is charged with intentional murder motivated by national intolerance, as well as illegal possession of weapons. Under these charges, he could be sentenced to life imprisonment.

According to the investigation, on July 19, 2024, Zinchenko shot Farion at close range and fled the crime scene. The woman died from her injuries in the hospital.

Iryna Farion's daughter, Sofia Osoba, filed a civil suit for 15 million hryvnias for moral damages. Zinchenko's lawyers requested additional Time to study this claim.

Zinchenko's mother turned to human rights defenders and emphasized that there is no evidence proving her son's guilt. She also claims that the lawyers have new evidence of innocence, but the court did not take it into account.

Iryna Farion was born in Lviv on April 29, 1964. She was a renowned linguist, university professor, politician, and people's deputy of Ukraine of the VII convocation. Farion was also a host of television projects and an author of scientific works.