The preparatory hearing in the case of Iryna Farion’s murder began in Lviv on Jan. 3. Zinchenko was brought to the courtroom amid chants of "Freedom!" and "Life Sentence!" from the crowd.
His defense team had requested a change in the preventive measure to house arrest, but the court rejected the appeal.
Zinchenko will therefore remain in pre-trial detention until at least March 4, 2025.
The murder of Iryna Farion
On July 25, an 18-year-old suspect, Vyacheslav Zinchenko, was arrested in Dnipro for the murder of former Svoboda MP, publicist, and linguist Iryna Farion. She died in Lviv on July 19 after being shot.
On July 26, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine held a briefing detailing the organization of the murder. Law enforcement charged Zinchenko under Part 1, Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.
Investigators believe the suspect was preparing for additional assassinations, with MP Maksym Buzhanskyi as a potential next target.
On July 26, the court ruled to keep Zinchenko in custody without bail. He has denied any involvement in the crime.
On Dec. 26, the police reclassified the case. Zinchenko is now charged with premeditated murder of a person in connection with their public duty, motivated by national intolerance, as well as illegal possession of firearms. If convicted, he faces life imprisonment.