Israeli-Russian Scholar Being Held by Pro-Iran Faction Is Alive, Israel Reports

The government in Jerusalem says it will hold Iraq responsible for the scholar’s safety.

Via Twitter
Elizabeth Tsurkov. Via Twitter

Since March, when a Princeton doctoral candidate, Elizabeth Tsurkov, was kidnapped at Baghdad by members of an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, officials involved in efforts to release her have been mum. On Wednesday, Jerusalem publicized details of a case involving a passionate, complex, brave, and somewhat reckless woman. 

A dual Russian-Israeli citizen, Ms. Tsurkov is alive and being held by a pro-Iran militia, Kataib Hezbollah, according to the Israeli prime minister office’s statement. Israel, it added, considers the Iraqi government responsible for her well being. Ms. Tsurkov, on her own initiative, entered Iraq with a Russian passport to research her Ph.D. thesis. Israel is doing all it can to secure her release, the statement said.

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