Life imprisonment looms: the murder suspect Farion has had the charges upgraded, and the case has now been sent to court.

The suspect, Vyacheslav Zinchenko, in the murder of Iryna Farion, has had the classification of his crime changed. He is now suspected of intentional murder and illegal handling of weapons. The case materials have been sent to court, and the young man faces life imprisonment.

This was reported by the National Police on December 26. The police established that in 2022, Zinchenko became a member of a group in one of the messengers that promotes a culture of violence and cruelty, as well as racial, national, and religious intolerance and discrimination. Furthermore, in 2024, he joined another group linked to a Russian neo-Nazi organization.

According to the police, during his time in these groups, the young man developed a personal animosity towards Iryna Farion due to her active stance on protecting the Ukrainian language and culture. The suspect believed that her actions were fracturing national unity, which led him to contemplate murdering the public figure.

Zinchenko meticulously prepared for the crime—gathering confidential information about the victim's residence and workplace, and surveilling her. It is claimed that he also devised a detailed plan for her murder and acquired firearms.

The investigative department dealing with crimes against life and health, under the procedural guidance of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor's Office, changed the classification of the crime and submitted an indictment to the court on December 25 under two articles. Specifically:

• Part 1 of Article 263 (Illegal handling of weapons, military supplies, or explosives)
• Paragraphs 8, 14 of Part 2 of Article 115 (Intentional murder of a person in connection with the performance of a public duty motivated by national intolerance) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
  
  

"He faces life imprisonment," the National Police added.

The Farion Case

The murder of public figure and linguist Iryna Farion occurred on July 19, 2024. The assailant shot her with a pistol, after which the woman was hospitalized. Medical staff at St. Panteleimon Hospital fought for her life, but they were unable to save her.

Law enforcement soon detained Vyacheslav Zinchenko in Dnipro. He is currently the main suspect in the murder. On July 26, the Halytskyi Court of Lviv imposed a preventive measure of detention without the possibility of bail. Zinchenko refused to testify, complicating the investigation.

Searches were conducted at the suspect's premises on July 25. The court ruled to seize Zinchenko's personal belongings. During the search, several items belonging to the suspect were confiscated. In the course of the investigation, the police discovered a "Fort" pistol and ammunition for it.

In September 2024, Iryna Farion's daughter’s lawyer, Natalia Romanyk, reported that the investigation uncovered new evidence against Vyacheslav Zinchenko. In particular, the results of an odorological examination (study of scent traces) indicated that Zinchenko was at the scene of Farion's murder with a probability of 99.9%. This fact contradicts the suspect's claims that he was not present at the crime scene. Other new evidence has not been disclosed by the investigation or the lawyer. Romanyk explained that the deliberate pace of the investigation is due to the high-profile nature of the case and the need to thoroughly examine every piece of evidence.

Meanwhile, in September, Zinchenko's lawyer stated that the pistol and red gloves found by law enforcement during searches were discovered at an address that is unrelated to the suspect. The lawyer is skeptical about whether Zinchenko actually stored these gloves or entrusted them to others for safekeeping.