Thousands in Ukraine attend funeral of former lawmaker and critic of Russia who was killed in Lviv

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Several thousand mourners attended the funeral Monday in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv for former lawmaker Iryna Farion, best known for her campaign to promote the Ukrainian language. Farion, 60, was shot in the street by an unknown assailant on Friday and later died from her wounds in a hospital. (AP video shot by: Alex Babenko)

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Soldiers carry the coffin of former Ukrainian nationalist lawmaker Iryna Farion during a funeral ceremony in Lviv, Ukraine, Monday, July 22, 2024. Farion, who often made outspoken statements defending the Ukrainian language was shot by a gunman in her home city of Lviv. (AP Photo/Mykola Tys)

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Priests conduct the funeral service for former Ukrainian nationalist lawmaker Iryna Farion in the Saints Peter and Paul church in Lviv, Ukraine, Monday, July 22, 2024. Farion, who often made outspoken statements defending the Ukrainian language was shot by a gunman in her home city of Lviv. (AP Photo/Mykola Tys)

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Relatives mourn at the coffin of former Ukrainian nationalist lawmaker Iryna Farion during a funeral ceremony in the Saints Peter and Paul church in Lviv, Ukraine, Monday, July 22, 2024. Farion who often made outspoken statements defending the Ukrainian language was shot by a gunman in her home city of Lviv. (AP photo/Mykola Tys)

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People pay their last respects at the coffin of former Ukrainian nationalist lawmaker Iryna Farion during funeral ceremony in the Saints Peter and Paul church in Lviv, Ukraine, Monday, July 22, 2024. Farion, who often made outspoken statements defending the Ukrainian language was shot by a gunman in her home city of Lviv. (AP photo/Mykola Tys)

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People react during the funeral ceremony of former Ukrainian nationalist lawmaker Iryna Farion at the Saints Peter and Paul church in Lviv, Ukraine, Monday, July 22, 2024. Farion, who often made outspoken statements defending the Ukrainian language was shot by a gunman in her home city of Lviv. (AP Photo/Mykola Tys)

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People lay flowers and light candles at a makeshift memorial in tribute to former Ukrainian nationalist lawmaker Iryna Farion at the place of her murder in Lviv, Ukraine, Saturday, July 20, 2024. A former Ukrainian nationalist lawmaker who often made outspoken statements defending the Ukrainian language has died after being shot by a gunman in her home city of Lviv, authorities said. Mykola Tys)

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By ALEX BABENKO

LVIV, Ukraine (AP) — Several thousand mourners attended the funeral Monday in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv for a former lawmaker best known for her campaign to promote the Ukrainian language who was fatally shot in the street by an unknown assailant.

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Iryna Farion, 60, was shot on Friday and later died from her wounds in a hospital. A search is underway for her attacker, who fled the scene. Ukrainian officials said the attack is being investigated as an assassination.

Her daughter Sofia Semchyshyn commented about her killing. “Killed, they killed her near her house during the day, on a sunny day.”

Farion served as a member of the Ukrainian parliament between 2012 and 2014, and was best known for her campaigns to promote the use of the Ukrainian language, urging that Ukrainian officials should not speak Russian. She controversially criticized Russian-speaking members of Ukraine’s Azov regiment who defended the port city of Mariupol in the first days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Lviv resident Olha Arden, 64, praised Farion.

“For me she is a patriot, a nationalist and she is our fighter for the Ukrainian language, the strongest fighter,” she said. “For 32 years she fought for the Ukrainian language. We respect and honor her. We will remember her after death.”