Lviv court retires to deliberate verdict in murder of linguist Iryna Farion
On September 17, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court in Lviv retired to deliberate a verdict in the murder case of linguist and former People's Deputy Iryna Farion. Defendant Viacheslav Zinchenko's defense attorney Diana Kara called the case fabricated and said the defense would seek justice at the European Court if needed.
Key points
- Court retired to deliberation on September 17 after closing arguments in the Farion murder case.
- Defendant is Viacheslav Zinchenko, an 18-year-old Dnipro resident arrested on July 26, 2024, without bail.
- Attorney Diana Kara said the case is fabricated and Zinchenko is not guilty.
- Kara said the defense will seek recourse at the European Court if justice is not achieved in Ukraine.
- Farion was shot on Masaryk Street in Lviv on the evening of July 19, 2024, and later died in hospital.
- Charge was reclassified in December 2024 to premeditated murder on grounds of national intolerance, plus illegal handling of weapons.
- Trial was repeatedly delayed by Zinchenko's poor health, a hunger strike, and changes in legal representation.
Why it matters
A verdict is imminent in a high-profile murder case that has drawn national attention because of the public profile of the victim and the politically charged charge of national intolerance. The defense's public contesting of the fairness of the proceedings and its signal that it intends to seek recourse at the European Court of Human Rights add an international human-rights dimension to the case. The repeated delays — caused by the defendant's health problems, a hunger strike and changes in legal representation — have themselves become part of the story around the trial.
What happened
On Thursday, September 17, the Shevchenkivskyi District Court in Lviv held a hearing that began at 11:48 in the murder case of linguist and former People's Deputy Iryna Farion. Prosecutors Olena Danyliv and Dmytro Petlovanyi were present in the courtroom; the representative of victim Sofiia Osoba, Nataliia Romaniuk, joined online. After closing arguments, Judge Petro Nevoit said that following the defendant's final statement the court was concluding the proceedings and retiring to the deliberation room to render a verdict. Defense attorney Diana Kara asked that her client Zinchenko be seated next to her during the debates, and both Kara and Zinchenko requested the recusal of the panel of judges. Speaking after the session, Kara said she considers the case fabricated and that Zinchenko is not guilty, and that the defense would continue its fight for justice, including at the European Court if necessary.
Background
Iryna Farion, a linguist and former People's Deputy of Ukraine, was shot on the evening of July 19, 2024, on Masaryk Street in Lviv and later died in hospital. On July 25, 2024, an 18-year-old resident of Dnipro, Viacheslav Zinchenko, was detained as a suspect; he was placed in custody without the alternative of bail the following day. In December 2024, the charge against him was reclassified to premeditated murder of a person in connection with the performance of her civic duty on grounds of national intolerance, combined with illegal handling of weapons. The investigation has indicated that the shooter was the perpetrator but not necessarily the sole actor behind the crime.