Former Ukrainian MP Iryna Farion dies in hospital after assassination attempt
Lviv Mayor Andrii Sadovyi and Ukraine’s National Police have reported that former Ukrainian MP Iryna Farion died in hospital after being shot on 19 July.
Source: Andrii Sadovyi, Lviv Mayor on Telegram; National Police of Ukraine
Quote: "It’s a tragedy. It became known that Iryna Farion passed away in hospital. Medics have done everything possible, but the injury was fatal".
Details: According to Sadovyi, the entire community of Lviv expresses sincere condolences to the family and everyone who knew and loved her.
"It's very frightening and terrible. I always say that there is no safe place in Ukraine anymore. But to face such a brazen, impudent murder... The killer must be found!" he said.
The National Police confirm that Farion died in hospital after being assassinated on July 19.
"The crime was reclassified to Part 1 of Article 115 (premeditated murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction of the article provides for imprisonment for up to fifteen years. Law enforcers are taking all necessary measures to identify and detain the offender," the police stated.
Ukrainska Pravda expresses sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
For reference: Iryna Dmytrivna Farion was a Ukrainian linguist, educator, scientist, Doctor of Philology, professor, politician, member of the Ukrainian parliament of the VII convocation (2012-2014), former chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) Committee on Science and Education, political and public figure, publicist and blogger. She was also a member of the Political Council of the Svoboda faction (since 2005).
ZAXID.NET reported that Iryna Farion hosted the television project The Greatness of the Personality on the Rada TV channel from 2013 to 2019. The project's goal was to popularise knowledge about significant figures in Ukrainian history, culture, and politics. During this period, 160 programmes were broadcast.
Farion was also the founder and author of the TV project Gene of Ukrainians (2019-2023) on the Lviv-based NTA TV channel. In addition, she ran two YouTube channels, Iryna Farion and Studio Farion, where she hosted the projects Anti-Anglicism, Political Review, and Ukrainian Language Culture Courses.
Farion has repeatedly made controversial statements, including about the Plast scouting organisation, the occupation and destruction of Mariupol by Russian forces, etc.
Background:
On the evening of 19 July, an attempt was made on the life of former MP Iryna Farion on Masaryk Street in Lviv.
After the attempted assassination, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko and Vasyl Maliuk, Head of Ukraine's Security Service, were promptly reporting on the search for the attacker.
Previously:
- On 12 February 2024, the Halytskyi District Court of Lviv refused to reinstate former MP Iryna Farion as a professor of the Ukrainian Language Department of the Institute of Humanities at the Lviv Polytechnic National University.
- On 15 November, Lviv Polytechnic National University dismissed Farion from her position as a professor of the Ukrainian Language Department after she insulted Ukrainian soldiers for speaking Russian.
- Sources in law enforcement agencies confirmed to Ukrainska Pravda that the reason for her dismissal was a violation of Article 41 of the Labour Code: committing an immoral offence by an employee performing educational functions that are incompatible with continuing this work.
- The Security Service of Ukraine initiated criminal proceedings and ordered a number of examinations of Farion's remarks and publications.
- Farion reacted to her dismissal from Lviv Polytechnic University by stating that she was preparing a lawsuit.
- On 29 May, the Lviv Court of Appeal ruled to reinstate former MP Iryna Farion as a professor of the Ukrainian Language Department at the Institute of Humanities at Lviv Polytechnic National University.
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