The Lviv Court of Appeals issued a decision regarding the case of Professor Iryna Farion, returning her to the position of head of the Department of Ukrainian Language at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Lviv Polytechnic National University. The court also ruled that the university must reimburse her her average salary for the period she was forced out.
During the hearing of the appeals court, representatives of Farion urged the court to satisfy her complaint in full, and representatives of the university insisted on the legality of the decision of the first instance. Farion's lawyers emphasized that she, as a scientist and teacher, has the right to free expression of her opinions. In turn, a representative of the university claimed that the decision to dismiss was legal because Farion expressed positions that did not comply with the university's policy.
After debate, the court decided to partially grant the appeal, reinstating Farion and awarding compensation for the period of involuntary suspension. However, the court's decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court.
After the decision was announced, Farion said she was glad that law prevailed over politics. She also gave an ambiguous answer to the question about returning to work at the university.
Regarding Farion's life path, she was born in Lviv in 1964.
Irynu Farion has been an active participant in the political life of Ukraine for a long time. Since 2005, she has been a member of the All-Ukrainian association Svoboda and was a member of the political council of the party. In 2006, she was elected a deputy of the Lviv Regional Council and held the position of deputy head of the commission for education and science.
From the end of 2012 to the fall of 2014, Farion worked as a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of the 7th convocation from the Svoboda party. Her civic position and active public activity often caused controversy and scandals.
Farion supported the memory of Stepan Bandera, the preservation of the purity of the Ukrainian language and the unity of the Ukrainian people. Her statements repeatedly caused public outrage and caused a wide resonance in the media.
For example, in February 2010, as part of the campaign "Let's establish the state language!", Farion caused a loud scandal during a class in a kindergarten in Lviv, where she strongly opposed the "fusion" of Ukrainian names. This incident caused a significant response and was widely reflected in the mass media.
Farion was also accused of discriminating against children on the basis of language and nationality during her public appearances. In November 2017, during a live broadcast of the TV channel "112", she entered into a conflict with journalist Dmytro Gordon, which also caused a great public outcry.
Despite the controversy, Farion did not hold back from expressing her views even after her dismissal from Lviv Polytechnic. In 2024, she made offensive words about the winners of the National Selection for Eurovision - Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil, which caused a new wave of discussions.
Overall, Farion continues to attract public attention for his statements and activities, which often cause controversy and outrage.
