Ukrainian student detained for plotting murder in online “Bloody Friday” challenge

The Lublin-West District Court placed Yaroslav F., a Ukrainian enrollee at Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski, in pre-trial detention for three months on charges of preparing a homicide driven by hate. The investigation began after a faculty member received alarming reports from seminar participants about the student’s extremist rhetoric, including praise for racist crimes and a pledge to kill strangers under the “Bloody Friday” internet challenge.

Police recovered three knives - one carried and two specialized throwing knives stored at his home - and traced his consumption of graphic material on Telegram and searches for torture methods. Prosecutors say he also attempted to enlist another person by offering a knife for a joint killing. The scheme was prevented thanks to the university’s warning and police intervention; the suspect was apprehended while driving a taxi ordered through an app. He has not admitted guilt and contests the investigators’ findings, though the court deemed the evidence sufficient to suggest a high likelihood of the alleged offense, which carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years.