Ukrainian court sentences man to life for murder of linguist Iryna Farion

The court found Zinchenko guilty of premeditated murder motivated by national intolerance and illegal possession of a weapon. The verdict can be appealed within 30 days.

Farion was shot in the head outside her home in Lviv on July 19, 2024, and died in hospital several hours later.

During Wednesday's hearing, the court cited notes Zinchenko wrote before the killing that prosecutors said contained a detailed plan for the crime and his plans to hide afterward. Investigators also found Farion's home address on his phone and messages in which he sought information about obtaining and modifying weapons and ammunition.

The court said Zinchenko had joined Telegram groups promoting violence and racial, national and religious intolerance beginning in 2022. Investigators said he developed hostility toward Farion over her outspoken advocacy of the Ukrainian language and culture.

Zinchenko denied killing Farion throughout the trial and declined to make a final statement.

The court also awarded Farion's daughter 5 million hryvnias in compensation. She said she would donate the money to the Ukrainian military brigade in which her husband served.