Ukrainian Nationalist ex-MP Iryna Farion Fatally Shot in Lviv
A former Ukrainian nationalist MP has been fatally shot on the streets of Lviv, a city in western Ukraine.
Iryna Farion stirred controversy in 2023 by declaring that true Ukrainian patriots should never speak Russian.
The 60-year-old linguistic professor’s death on Friday is under investigation, with authorities considering it a potential targeted attack.
The assailant remains unidentified, and police have reported that a power outage disrupted CCTV in the vicinity.
Lviv Regional Governor Maksym Kozytskyi announced on Telegram that Ms. Farion succumbed to her injuries in the hospital following the shooting.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko stated that this was not a random act of violence and that police are exploring possible motives.
“We are considering several theories, mainly related to Farion’s social and political activities and personal animosity,” he said in a Telegram statement.
He added, “We do not exclude the possibility of a commissioned murder.”
President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the violence on Telegram, emphasizing that those responsible must be held accountable.
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The nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party, to which Ms. Farion belonged, blamed Russia for the assassination.
“Moscow targets those who champion the Ukrainian language,” the party asserted in a statement.
In 2023, Ms. Farion asserted that true Ukrainian patriots should avoid speaking Russian, even on the battlefield, as it is the language of the aggressor.
She described Russian as “the language of the enemy who kills, discriminates, insults, and violates us,” questioning how one could fight for Ukraine and still speak Russian.
Her comments sparked a significant backlash in Ukraine, with accusations of inciting hatred based on language.
She was subsequently dismissed from her university post in western Ukraine and investigated by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
However, in May, the Lviv Court of Appeal reportedly reinstated her to her former position.
Ukrainian Nationalist ex-MP Iryna Farion Fatally Shot in Lviv
