WASHINGTON — Iraqi officials said that an Israeli Russian researcher, who was kidnapped by an Iraqi militia nearly two years ago, is alive, and that they are working to secure her release.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Thursday told an Axios reporter in Davos, Switzerland, that Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Princeton doctoral candidate, is alive and that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani was working on her release, according to Reuters.
Tsurkov, 39, was abducted in Baghdad in March 2023 shortly after her arrival in the Iraqi capital. The dual Israeli Russian citizen had traveled to Iraq to conduct fieldwork for her dissertation.
Israeli citizens are forbidden from traveling to Iraq, but Tsurkov used her Russian passport to enter the country, according to the Israeli government.
The Israeli government said in July 2023 that Tsurkov was being held by Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Shia militia that has ties to the Iraqi government and Iran.
In November 2023, Kataib Hezbollah, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, released a proof-of-life video of Tsurkov, the only confirmed evidence of her fate to date.
Her sister, Emma Tsurkov, said the family was “pleased to see the Iraqi government acknowledge what we already know: Elizabeth is alive and being held hostage in Iraq by militias aligned with the Iraqi prime minister.
“At the same time, we are fed up with empty promises from the Iraqi government to get her released with no real follow-through,” she told VOA.
Last year, Emma Tsurkov and two other siblings launched an extensive campaign in Washington during an official visit by Sudani. During a panel discussion hosted by the Atlantic Council, Emma Tsurkov interrupted the Iraqi leader, protesting Baghdad’s inaction in securing her sister’s release. In response, Sudani stated that his government had formed a task force to follow up with Tsurkov’s case.
The U.S. State Department had confirmed that Tsurkov’s case was raised by former President Joe Biden during his White House meeting with Sudani.
Emma Tsurkov said the family “knows that Elizabeth’s case is already on the radar of the new SPEHA,” referring to Adam Boehler, President Donald Trump’s nominee for special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.
Boehler must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate before he can formally begin his role.
“We are confident the Trump team will hold the Iraqi government accountable and make Elizabeth’s safe return a real priority and not just a talking point like the last administration,” Emma Tsurkov said.
VOA contacted the State Department for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
This story originated in VOA’s Kurdish Service.
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