The suspect in the murder of Iryna Farion faces a life sentence.

The pre-trial investigation into the murder of public figure and member of the Ukrainian Parliament of the VII convocation, Iryna Farion, has been completed. The actions of 18-year-old Vyacheslav Zinchenko from Dnipro have been requalified, as the gathered evidence indicates that the murder occurred due to the victim's fulfillment of her public duty. The indictment has been sent to court. This was reported on Thursday, December 26, by the Lviv regional prosecutor's office.

The investigation established that on July 19, 2024, in Lviv, the accused shot the victim from a distance of about two meters with a pistol, then fled the scene. The woman died the same day in the hospital from a penetrating gunshot wound to the head.

The collected evidence indicates that the murder occurred due to the victim's performance of her public duty and was motivated by national intolerance. In particular, the accused held beliefs regarding the "national discrimination of Ukrainian citizens who speak Russian." Iryna Farion, known for her public stance on the protection and development of the Ukrainian language and culture, allegedly undermined national unity through her actions. This formed the basis for Vyacheslav Zinchenko's intent to kill her.

Based on the gathered evidence, Vyacheslav Zinchenko's actions have been requalified. He is now charged with intentional murder of a person due to the performance of their public duty, motivated by national intolerance, as well as the acquisition, carrying, and storage of firearms without the required legal permit (paragraphs 8, 14 of part 2 of Article 115, part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The accused faces a sentence of ten to fifteen years in prison, or life imprisonment. It should be noted that previously Vyacheslav Zinchenko was informed of suspicion under part 1 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (intentional murder), which carried a penalty of seven to fifteen years in prison.

It is worth mentioning that at the request of the prosecutor's office, a preventive measure has been chosen for him – detention without bail, which has been extended until January 12, 2025.

Recall that on July 19, Iryna Farion was murdered by a gunshot to the head near her home in Lviv at Masaryka, 3. The police published a photo of the suspected murderer on July 21, and by July 25, they arrested Vyacheslav Zinchenko in Dnipro, who was named as the suspect.