Kiev, Ukraine
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The alleged murderer of Ukrainian MP Andri Parby acknowledged his role in the death of a politician on Tuesday, claiming he had committed the crime in “revenge” acts against the state authorities.
Parby, a well-known nationalist politician who previously chaired the Ukrainian parliament, was shot dead by police on Saturday in a western city known as a “carefully planned” attack.
The suspect, a 52-year-old LVIV resident whose name has not been released by police on Tuesday, told journalists on Tuesday, a video shown by a video in the courthouse. He described the murder as “personal revenge against the Ukrainian authorities.”
“Yes, I admit I killed him,” he told reporters within the court, denying that he had cooperated with special Russian services to carry out the murder. He shot Parvii “because he was nearby,” he said.
After shooting Parvii, the suspect was said to have fled into the woods, where he burned the clothes he was wearing and disassembled the bike he was riding, the LVIV Regional Prosecutor’s Office said.
The prosecutor’s office said Tuesday that he was in custody for 60 days while the investigation was underway.
The suspect told journalists that he would like to issue a verdict quickly so that he could “be exchanged for prisoners of war” so that his son’s body could be found.
According to the suspect’s ex-wife, Olena Cherninka, the man’s son was a Ukrainian sergeant who was killed in the battle.
“My son was a hero who died in Ukraine,” Cherninka wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday, claiming that she had little opinion from her father and raised a soldier named Mykhailo-Victor.
The father and son were arguing about a young man fighting in the war, she said.
“The news from the trial in the case of Parubiy’s murder shocked our family. It’s important that Mykhailo’s memory is not trusted in this situation,” she said.
When asked about circulation information about the suspect’s son, the LVIV Regional Prosecutor’s Office said this angle and other angles would be investigated.
Parubiy’s funeral was also held on Tuesday, with Maksym Kozytskyi, head of LVIV’s regional junta, posted on social media.
“Many people have begun to say goodbye to Andriy Parubiy. Please keep his memory alive. We sincerely condolences to his family,” Kozytskyi wrote along with the image of dozens of mourners.
“The murderer will be punished justly,” he said.
Reported by Kyiv and Catherine Nicholls, Daria Tarasova-Markina wrote in London. CNN’s Svitlana Vlasova contributed to this report.
