The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has opened a criminal case against linguist and former MP Iryna Farion. Investigators are currently examining her scandalous statements and publications, as well as the publication of a letter from a student from occupied Crimea.
According to the investigation, in one of her interviews, Farion said that she categorically rejected Russian-speaking servicemen of the Armed Forces and could not call them Ukrainians. This caused a wave of indignation among Ukrainian defenders and in society at large.
"In addition, she published a post on her social media with a screenshot of a message from a pro-Ukrainian student from the temporarily occupied Crimea, which contained the name, surname and other personal data of the sender, which became the basis for the student's persecution by the Russian special services," the agency said in a statement.
Criminal proceedings were opened under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
Article 161 (violation of the equality of citizens based on their race, nationality, region, religious beliefs, disability and other grounds);
Article 435-1 (insult to the honour and dignity of a serviceman, threats to a serviceman);
Article 163 (violation of the secrecy of correspondence, telephone conversations, telegraphic or other correspondence transmitted by means of communication or via computer);
Article 182 (violation of privacy).
The SBU initiated a psychological and linguistic examination of Irina Farion's statements. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
Earlier, Farion said that she could not consider Russian-speaking members of Azov and the 3rd Assault Brigade to be Ukrainians if they could not speak Ukrainian. After that, ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets also appealed to the SBU.
The Lviv Polytechnic National University, where Farion teaches, said that it was not responsible for her statements outside the university.
Lubinets also appealed to the SBU regarding the disclosure of the personal data of a student from occupied Crimea by Farion.