Murder of Iryna Farion: Vyacheslav Zinchenko appealed the court’s life sentence

Vyacheslav Zinchenko, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court of first instance for the murder of linguist and public figure Iryna Farion, has filed an appeal. The defense appealed the court’s decision, since the convict does not admit his involvement in the crime.

According to journalists, the appeal was filed with the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Lviv on November 3, 2026. Information about its submission was confirmed by Vyacheslav Zinchenko’s lawyer Diana Kara.

The documents were filed on the last day of the established procedural deadline for appealing the verdict.

The court sentenced Zinchenko to life imprisonment

On October 1, 2026, a panel of judges of the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Lviv, consisting of Petro Nevoyt, Pavlo Eder, and Oleksandra Baeva, passed a guilty verdict in the case of the murder of Iryna Farion.

The court found Vyacheslav Zinchenko guilty and sentenced him to the harshest punishment – life imprisonment.

At the same time, during the trial, the accused denied his involvement in the murder.

Initially, Zinchenko’s actions were classified as premeditated murder, which was punishable by imprisonment for a term of up to 15 years.

Subsequently, law enforcement officers changed the legal qualification of the charges. He was charged with murder motivated by national intolerance and illegal handling of weapons.

It was for the totality of the relevant charges that the court of first instance imposed life imprisonment.

Over 60 expert examinations and 1,500 witnesses: what evidence was examined in the case

During the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted a significant amount of investigative actions.

According to prosecutor Dmytro Petlyavany, within the framework of the criminal proceedings:

over 60 expert examinations were ordered;
questioned over 1,500 witnesses;
examined significant amounts of video footage from surveillance cameras.

The indictment against Vyacheslav Zinchenko was submitted to the court in December 2024.

The trial lasted almost two years. In September 2026, the parties’ debates ended, after which the panel of judges proceeded to make a decision.

What is known about the murder of Iryna Farion

Iryna Farion was attacked on July 19, 2024 in Lviv.

The attacker shot the linguist near the entrance to her house and fled the scene of the crime.

The victim was hospitalized at St. Panteleimon Hospital, but due to the severity of the injury, her life could not be saved.

A few days after the murder, law enforcement officers detained Vyacheslav Zinchenko, who was 18 years old at the time and was suspected of involvement in the crime, in Dnipro.

The case received significant public resonance, and the court hearings were accompanied by increased attention from the public and the media.

What will happen after filing an appeal

Filing an appeal means that the decision of the court of first instance will be reviewed in the manner prescribed by criminal procedural legislation.

The court of appeal must assess the arguments of the defense and the legality and reasonableness of the appealed verdict within the framework of the appellate review.

Based on the results of the review, the court may leave the verdict unchanged, change it, or make another decision in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.