Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian researcher, has been released after being tortured for many months by her Iraqi militia abductors, US President Donald Trump has announced.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: 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 confirmed Ms Tsurkov's release shortly afterwards.
She had gone missing in Iraq during a research trip in March 2023 — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said several months later that she was being held by the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah.
In a post on X, Sudani described Ms Tsurkov's release as a culmination of extensive efforts exerted by our security services over the course of many months. He stated that the security services were able to uncover the place where the student had been held before handing her over to the US embassy.
Ms Tsurkov entered Iraq on her Russian passport, as confirmed by Netanyahu's office at the time.
According to Ms Tsurkov's website, her research focuses on the Levant, which includes present-day Israel, Syria, and other areas, as well as the Syrian uprising and civil war.
Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Iraqi Shia militia receiving support from Iran, has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. since 2009.
In his Truth Social post, Trump also referenced the ongoing situation involving Hamas, saying, Hamas, release the hostages, now! This refers to individuals taken prisoner during Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
