- Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian Princeton researcher, has been released after over two years in captivity.
- She was abducted by Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq during a research trip in March 2023.
- US President Donald Trump confirmed her release; she is now safe at the American embassy in Baghdad.
- Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani credited his security services for locating and freeing her.
- Tsurkov’s case had drawn international concern and advocacy from her family and academic community.
- Her release may signal broader diplomatic shifts in US-Iraq relations.
Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Tsurkov has been released after spending more than two years in captivity, following her abduction by the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah. The announcement was made by US President Donald Trump, who confirmed that Tsurkov is now safe at the American embassy in Baghdad.
Tsurkov, a Princeton University researcher, disappeared in March 2023 while conducting fieldwork in Iraq. Her detention remained secret for months until Israeli officials revealed she was being held by Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Shia militia designated as a terrorist organization by the US.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani confirmed the release, crediting his country’s security services for locating the site of her captivity and facilitating her handover. The operation reportedly involved months of intelligence work and quiet negotiations.
Tsurkov’s research focuses on the Levant, with particular emphasis on the Syrian civil war and regional political dynamics. She entered Iraq using her Russian passport, a detail that complicated diplomatic efforts to secure her release.
Her family, including her American sister, had campaigned relentlessly for her freedom, often criticizing the lack of urgency from previous US administrations. Under Trump, the case gained traction, culminating in a coordinated effort involving US envoys, Israeli officials, and Iraqi intermediaries.
The release comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, with Trump using the moment to call for the release of hostages held by Hamas following the October 2023 attacks on Israel. The timing of Tsurkov’s freedom adds symbolic weight to ongoing efforts to resolve hostage crises across the region.
While the exact terms of her release remain undisclosed, sources suggest it may have been part of a broader diplomatic understanding aimed at reducing conflict and facilitating US troop withdrawals from Iraq.
