{"id":621201,"date":"2026-10-01T16:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T13:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/2026\/10\/621201\/life-sentence-for-the-murder-of-iryna-farion-court-announced-verdict-for-zinchenko\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T16:11:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T13:11:13","slug":"life-sentence-for-the-murder-of-iryna-farion-court-announced-verdict-for-zinchenko","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/korabelov.info\/en\/2026\/10\/621201\/life-sentence-for-the-murder-of-iryna-farion-court-announced-verdict-for-zinchenko\/","title":{"rendered":"Life sentence for the murder of Iryna Farion: court announced verdict for Zinchenko"},"content":{"rendered":"

1 October 2026<\/strong> Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Lviv<\/strong> sentenced 20-year-old Vyacheslav Zinchenko<\/strong> to life imprisonment in the case of the murder of linguist Iryna Farion<\/strong>. The judge announced that his guilt was proven in full. The decision is reported by RBC\u2011Ukraine<\/strong>, citing the broadcast of the hearing on Suspilne<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The charges concerned intentional homicide motivated by national intolerance and illegal handling of a weapon. Zinchenko<\/strong> himself denied guilt.<\/p>\n

Entries about the crime and a rally outside the court<\/h2>\n

During the hearing, the defendant’s personal writings were read aloud. According to the investigation, they contained a plan of the crime and a subsequent escape. In Zinchenko<\/strong>‘s diary there was, in particular, the following entry:<\/p>\n

“While others protest and quietly go home, I silently sharpened the knife to do what millions have dreamed of. I consider myself a purifier of society, even though I acted out of personal animosity. I made my choice and will go to the end, otherwise I will lose respect for myself.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Meanwhile, a rally demanding a life sentence was taking place outside the court building. Participants began gathering before the hearing. They shouted:<\/p>\n

“Zinchenko<\/strong> \u2014 life sentence”, “Glory to Farion<\/strong>“.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On the cardboard signs that protesters held were the inscriptions:<\/p>\n

“Zinchenko<\/strong> \u2014 life” and “Life sentence \u2014 for the killer”.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

How the case reached the verdict<\/h2>\n

The trial began in January 2025<\/strong>. During this time the court examined 30 volumes<\/strong> of materials and held more than 80 hearings<\/strong>. Lawyers changed over the course of the process, motions to recuse judges were filed, and defense attorneys did not always appear in court.<\/p>\n

On 24 April<\/strong> prosecutors asked the court to sentence the defendant to life imprisonment. This punishment was also supported by the victim’s daughter, Sofiia Osoba<\/strong>. She explained her position:<\/p>\n

“This will not bring my mother back, but it will be a just decision.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Debates ended on 17 September<\/strong>. Zinchenko<\/strong> refused to exercise his right to make a final statement, after which the judges retired to the deliberation room.<\/p>\n

Back in August 2025<\/strong> the defendant stated in court that his words to a cellmate about the murder were said under pressure. In the read-out record of that conversation he effectively confessed to the crime and spoke of personal animosity.<\/p>\n

Attack on Farion and the arrest of Zinchenko<\/h2>\n

On the evening of 19 July 2024<\/strong> Iryna Farion<\/strong> was shot in Lviv<\/strong>. Late that evening she died in hospital. The police initially investigated the attack as an attempted murder, and after the linguist’s death reclassified the case as intentional homicide.<\/p>\n

The farewell for the deceased took place on 23 July<\/strong>. Two days later, on 25 July<\/strong>, Vyacheslav Zinchenko<\/strong> was detained in Dnipro<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Iryna Farion<\/strong> was a linguist, a Doctor of Philological Sciences and a professor. In 2012\u20132014<\/strong> she represented All\u2011Ukrainian Union “Svoboda” (VO “Svoboda”)<\/strong> in the Verkhovna Rada<\/strong> as a people’s deputy.<\/p>\n

In the context of this case a source also cites the position of the SBU<\/strong> after the killing of the former Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Andriy Parubiy<\/strong>: the service stated that it had no information about a link between that crime and the murder of Farion<\/strong>. Among the theories about Parubiy’s killing, possible Russian involvement was considered.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Earlier we wrote:<\/strong><\/p>\n