The Shevchenko District Court in Lviv sentenced Vyacheslav Zinchenko to life in prison for the murder of Ukrainian linguist and public figure Irina Farion. The verdict was handed down on October 1 after more than a year and a half of court proceedings, News.bg reports.
The court found Zinchenko guilty of the premeditated murder of Farion, committed in connection with her public activities and for reasons related to national intolerance. He was also found guilty of illegal handling of a firearm. For the latter offense, the court imposed a separate sentence of four years, which is absorbed into the life sentence.
Zinchenko, who is 20 years old, did not plead guilty during the trial. He has been in custody since July 25, 2024, when he was detained in Dnipro. The sentence is subject to appeal.
Farion was shot in the head on July 19, 2024, in Lviv. She was taken to hospital, but later died of her wounds. Six days later, police detained Zinchenko as a suspect in the murder.
The investigation involved a large amount of evidence. Over 80 court hearings were held, the case contains 30 volumes of materials, and investigators analyzed a large number of video recordings and expert reports. On September 17, 2026, the court arguments ended and the panel retired to deliver the verdict.
Iryna Farion was known for her strong position in defense of the Ukrainian language and for her sharp criticism of the use of Russian in Ukraine. Her public statements in 2023 sparked a conflict with representatives of the Ukrainian armed forces and led to disciplinary and political reactions.
According to Ukrainian investigators, Zinchenko developed a dislike for Farion because of her positions on the Ukrainian language and culture. The prosecution claims that he followed the victim, collected information about her and prepared the murder in advance. These allegations were part of the indictment, on which the court ruled with a life sentence.