An Israeli-Russian researcher has been freed after enduring what former US President Donald Trump described as “many months” of torture at the hands of her Iraqi militia abductors.
In a statement on Truth Social, Mr. Trump announced: “I am pleased to report that Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton student, whose sister is an American citizen, was just released by Kataib Hezbollah, and is now safely in the American embassy in Iraq.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani subsequently confirmed Ms. Tsurkov’s release.
Ms. Tsurkov had been missing in Iraq since March 2023 during a research trip. Several months later, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that she was being held by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed group.
In a post on X, Mr. Sudani stated that Ms. Tsurkov’s release was “a culmination of extensive efforts exerted by our security services over the course of many months.”
He further indicated that on Tuesday, security services were able to “uncover” the location where the student was being held before transferring her to the US embassy.
According to Mr. Netanyahu’s office, Ms. Tsurkov entered Iraq using her Russian passport.
Ms. Tsurkov’s website indicates that her research focuses on the Levant – a historical region encompassing modern-day Israel, Syria, and surrounding areas – and “the Syrian uprising and civil war.”
Kataib Hezbollah, also known as the Brigades of the Party of God, is a prominent Iraqi Shia militia that receives financial and military support from Iran. The US designated it as a terrorist organization in 2009.
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