BRTK director Meryem Özkurt, who served two months in prison for breaking the election bans in 2020, was released today.
Waiting to greet her outside the prison gates were her family, BRTK employees and journalists
Meryem Özkurt was greeted with applause, she hugged her family and friends and shed tears for a few moments.
Öztürk said that everyone may need an impartial, unbiased and non-politicised judiciary one day.
Asked by a reporter if she had been the victim of bad politics she replied, “I am not a victim of bad politics, I am a victim of prejudices”.
Saying that she had spent her prison time reading many books, Öztürk thanked the prison staff. “People’s psychology is very important here. They kept my morale very high”, she said.
Öztürk said that she would pick up her life and carry on.
Asked if she had been offended by the decision to prosecute her, Öztürk said, “I am not offended. A person is hurt by the one she loves. I am sorry for the TRNC and the judiciary”, she said.
Özkurt was prosecuted for violating the Election and Public Voting Law and for not complying with the warning by the Supreme Election Board. The event was the broadcasting of the ceremony held at the Gecitkoy reservoir in October 2020. A number of politicians took part in this event at a time when the presidential elections were being held and when election bans were in place.
She was found guilty on two counts against her and sentenced to two months in prison on the first count and 20 days on the second count, and the Court ruled that Özkurt serve both sentences together.
Özkurt’s lawyer filed an appeal, but the Supreme Court did not change the decision.
No other broadening casting companies filming the ceremony at the Gecitkoy reservoir were indicted.
