The murder case of Farion has been reclassified: Zinchenko now faces a life sentence.

The suspect in the murder case of Irina Faryon, Vyacheslav Zinchenko, has had the classification of his crime changed. The case materials have been sent to court.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing the press service of the National Police.

He is now suspected of intentional murder in connection with performing a public duty motivated by national intolerance, as well as illegal handling of weapons.

Law enforcement officials established that in 2022, the suspect, an 18-year-old resident of Dnipro, became a participant in a group on one of the messaging platforms that promotes a cult of violence and cruelty, as well as racial, national, and religious intolerance and discrimination. In 2024, he joined another group associated with a Russian neo-Nazi organization.

While in these groups, the suspect developed a personal animosity towards Irina Faryon due to her active stance in defending the Ukrainian language and culture. The perpetrator believed that her actions were fracturing national unity, which led him to form an intent to kill the public figure.

The suspect meticulously prepared for the crime by gathering confidential information about the victim's residence and workplace, surveilling her, and devising a detailed plan for her murder, as well as acquiring a firearm.

According to police reports, the perpetrator ambushed Irina Faryon on July 19 around 19:20 in the courtyard of her home on Masaryk Street in Lviv. He approached the victim and fired one shot to her head, after which he fled. A few hours later, the public figure died in the hospital from the gunshot wound.

On July 25, law enforcement officials located the fugitive and detained him under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine in the city of Dnipro.

Investigators from the department for investigating crimes against life and health, under the procedural guidance of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor's Office, have changed the classification of the crime and submitted an indictment to the court on December 25 for the following articles:

• Part 1 of Article 263 (Illegal handling of weapons, military supplies, or explosive substances)
• Subparagraphs 8 and 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 Murder of Faryon

Earlier, we reported that linguist Irina Faryon was murdered on July 19 in Lviv. The attacker shot her in the head while she was waiting for a taxi in the courtyard of her home. Faryon was hospitalized, underwent surgery, but later died.

The prosecution has initiated a criminal case for intentional murder. During the investigation, a suspect, Vyacheslav Zinchenko, was detained in Dnipro. The investigation believes he is the perpetrator of the crime. The police are also considering a possible "Russian connection."

The Galician court of Lviv decided to remand the suspect without the right to bail. Previously, Zinchenko's lawyers filed an appeal requesting a change in the measure of restraint, but it was denied. Interestingly, at one of the hearings, Zinchenko himself requested to remain in custody, citing threats to his safety.

For more details about the case, you can read the material from RBK-Ukraine.