FOLLOWING the tragic incident that happened to Emine Oszoy, an artist based in Queens, her husband, Ferdi Oszoy, who is the interim director of the International Fact-checking Network (IFCN), has released a statement concerning the incident.
In the statement, Oszoy stated that his wife’s life has been negatively affected by the incident as she has suffered a severe injury on her neck.
”Her life has been profoundly impacted by this tragic act of violence. She has suffered a severe injury to her neck that has resulted in significant limitations. Unfortunately, her mobility is expected to be affected, greatly impacting her daily life. But, of course, faith and hope are never-ending. She’s young. She’s a strong woman. She’s creative. She’s empathetic. She’s a warrior. She’s a true friend who goes out of her way to help people.
“The incident occurred on the Southbound platform at the Lexington Avenue 63rd street station around 6am on her way to work in the heart of Manhattan. The incident underscores the pressing need for improvement within the MTA. We must ensure the ability to safeguard individuals, including loved ones like my wife,” Ferdi said.
The ICIR had gathered that on Sunday, May 21, 2023, 35-year-old Emine was on her way to work when she was shoved into a subway train that was pulling out of the Lexington and East 63rd Street station at around 6am She was rushed to the hospital as she had sustained serious head, neck and spine injuries, as well as fractured ribs, while the suspect took off.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested the suspect, 39-year-old Kamal Semrade the following day, who was walked out of Transit District 1 with his head down and saying nothing. He is being charged with attempted murder and assault.
Ferdi thanked the NYPD for the swift and careful handling of the investigation and other parties involved.
He said, “I would like to thank several people. I am truly grateful for the way the NYPD handled the investigation. The NYPD detectives on the case kept me up to date at every step, at every moment.
“They assured me he is going to be caught. And last night, they caught him, and he will face his justice when the time comes. The individuals that surrounded her on that train station, that comforted her and told her that everything was going to be okay until the EMTs came, they were there to keep her motivated to hang onto life. And I really appreciated the New Yorkers who came to her aid in that moment.”
Prior to the incident, Emine 35, was an artist who was born in Antalya, Turkey, and lived and worked in Istanbul before coming to the United States and New York City in 2017. She has lived in NYC since then with her husband and is an award-winning artist, illustrator and painter whose work has appeared in many magazines and for many known clients, such as Airbnb, Puma, Chicago Magazine and Maroon 5.
Fatimah Quadri is a Journalist and a Fact-checker at The ICIR. She has written news articles, fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy in an effort to combat information disorder.
She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or fquadri@icirnigeria.org