The suspect in the murder of former MP and linguist Iryna Farion was detained in Dnipro.
This was reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"The arrest operation was very difficult. During these days, hundreds of specialists of the National Police of Ukraine, SBU and other services worked on solving the murder," Zelensky wrote.
He added that the necessary investigative actions and examinations are ongoing.
The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko later informed about new details of the suspectʼs detention. According to him, there is enough evidence to claim that it was the detainee who shot the linguist.
"They checked every corner along the shooterʼs escape route and searched almost 100 hectares of forest. Eventually, the suspect was tracked down. The person has been identified. Having his photo, it was only a matter of time: smart surveillance cameras caught him everywhere," the minister says.
The suspect is an 18-year-old resident of Dnipro. While preparing for the crime, he rented at least three apartments in Lviv.
At the moment, the investigation is inclined to the opinion that the shooter is only an executor. The minister did not provide information about the alleged customer.
The Prosecutor Generalʼs Office informed the detainee that his actions qualify as intentional murder (part 1 of Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Suspicion is being prepared for the man, the court will soon choose a preventive measure for him.
Attack on Iryna Farion
In the evening of July 19, an unknown person attacked Iryna Farion in Lviv, she was shot. The Ministry of Internal Affairs says that a suspicious man was seen near her house for at least several days — he could be the attacker. Later, this man was declared wanted and his photo was published.
The linguist was initially hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the head. She was in a critical coma and on a ventilator. Late in the evening it became known that Farion had died.
The police are investigating the case under Part 1 of Art. 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — premeditated murder. The maximum penalty is 15 years in prison.
Who is Iryna Farion?
Iryna Farion was born on April 29, 1964 in Lviv. Linguist, professor at Lviv Polytechnic National University, member of the Polytrade of Svoboda Higher Education Institution, MP of Ukraine of the 7th convocation (2012-2014), and twice a deputy of the Lviv Regional Council from All-Ukrainian Union "Svoboda".
Farion repeatedly got into scandals. In particular, she criticized the Russian-speaking fighters of "Azov" and the 3rd assault brigade and said that she could not consider them Ukrainians. Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets turned to the police, the Security Service of Ukraine and the National Council on Television.
Another scandal is related to the fact that she published a letter from a student from occupied Crimea with his personal data. Later, Russian Z-publics shared a video where the FSB allegedly detains this student. He apologized on camera and admitted his "guilt".
On November 14, 2023, students of Lviv Polytechnic staged a protest and demanded the dismissal of Iryna Farion from the university. The Minister of Education Oksen Lisovyi later informed that Farion was fired, but the court reinstated her in her position at the end of May 2024.