Iranian-backed Iraqi militia frees Elizabeth Tsurkov, Israeli-Russian graduate student held since 2023

The Iranian-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah on Tuesday released Israeli-Russian graduate student Elizabeth Tsurkov after more than two years of captivity in Iraq.

The terror group said it had released the Princeton University graduate student Tsurkov “to facilitate withdrawal of U.S .forces” and to avoid “conflicts” in Iraq. 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani welcomed the release of Tsurkov while declining to mention her Israeli nationality. 

“As a culmination of extensive efforts exerted by our security services over the course of many months, we announce the release of the Russian citizen, Elizabeth Tsurkov,” al-Sudani wrote in a post on 𝕏.

Tsurkov’s family thanked both the United States and Israel for facilitating her release. U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that Tsurkov “was just released” by the Kataib Hezbollah militia “after being tortured for many months” and was transferred to the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.  

Tsurov who was studying Jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq, was kidnapped in 2023 while staying in Iraq. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office expressed at the time concern about her well-being. 

“Elizabeth Tsurkov is still alive, and we see Iraq as the one responsible for her fate and safety,” the Prime Minister's Office stated. “This is an academic who visited Iraq, using her Russian passport, at her own initiative pursuant to work on her doctorate and academic research on behalf of Princeton University in the United States. The incident is being handled by the relevant authorities in the State of Israel, with concern for Elizabeth Tsurkov's safety and well-being."

U.S. authorities have been looking for Tsurkov since her abduction in 2023. In March, Iraqi officials suggested that the Russian Israeli academic "may have been transferred to Iran" due to the close ties between the Iranian regime and the Iraqi terrorist group who kidnapped her. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Iraqi official argued at the time that al-Sudani “does not know where Tsurkov is being held," adding pessimistically that "it’s a stroke of luck she’s still alive. Usually, captives don’t survive the interrogations."

However, Iraqi military spokesman Sabah al-Numan announced on Tuesday that “following extensive and high-level security and intelligence efforts… authorities succeeded, on September 9, in locating and reaching the site of her detention.”

Declining to state the name of the Iranian-backed terror group the Iraqi official said Tsurkov was abducted by a “group of outlaws,” adding that Iraqi security forces “will continue to pursue all those involved in this crime and ensure they are held accountable.”

However, in reality, the fragile Baghdad regime has limited influence in Iraqi society, which is deeply divided along sectarian lines. Iran still has considerable influence in Iraq where over 50% of the population are Shiite Muslims. 

Tsurkov’s release was facilitated by the fact that her sister Emma Tsurkov is a U.S. citizen who has been actively campaigning for her release. The U.S. special presidential envoy Adam Boehler reportedly informed Emma about the release of her sister. 

“I heard her voice for the first time in 2 1/2 years and still couldn’t believe it, and I just melted on the floor,” Emma told the Associated Press after speaking to her sister on the phone. “I heard her voice and she heard mine, and it was the most joyous experience of my life, and we both started sobbing and screaming."

“My entire family is incredibly happy. We cannot wait to see Elizabeth and give her all the love we have been waiting to share for 903 days,” Emma wrote on social media. “If Adam had not made my sister’s return his personal mission, I do not know where we would be."