Iryna Farion Murder: Ukrainian Security Forces Identify Suspect
A young man, 18 years old, has been detained on suspicion of murdering former Ukrainian parliamentarian Iryna Farion, who was fatally shot in Lviv, local authorities have announced, CNN reports.
Iryna Farion, 60, died last Friday in the hospital after being shot in western Ukraine, according to a Facebook post by Andriy Sadovyi, the mayor of Lviv.
On Thursday, a specialised team of Ukrainian security forces and criminal analysts tracked the suspect following 139 hours of investigation. Authorities identified him using surveillance cameras, as stated by Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs.
“We examined every corner of the attacker’s escape route. Identifying and detaining the criminal was a laborious process that demanded the highest professionalism, resilience, and discipline to avoid mistakes. I extend my gratitude to the entire team,” Klymenko posted on Telegram.
Hundreds attended Iryna Farion’s funeral at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Lviv on July 22.
President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the country’s security forces, stating, “I am grateful to everyone who contributed additional facts to the crime investigation each day and brought the complete truth closer,” in a post on Telegram.
Farion, a former nationalist parliamentarian and professor, was known for her unfavourable attitude towards the Russian language, which is spoken in eastern Ukraine.
Last year, the Security Service of Ukraine launched a criminal investigation against Farion after she posted a screenshot on social media of a message from a pro-Ukrainian student from occupied Crimea. The message contained the sender’s name, surname, and other personal details, which led to her persecution by Russian special services.
In November, during the investigation, Farion informed authorities that she categorically rejects members of the armed forces who speak Russian and fight against the large-scale Russian invasion, according to Reuters, stating that she cannot consider them Ukrainians.
Her statement triggered a wave of outrage among some segments of Ukrainian society.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
