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5d ago

Princeton Researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov Freed in Iraq, Now in U.S. Custody

Officials say she is now in U.S. custody at the Baghdad embassy, with any deal for her release still undisclosed.

Israeli-Russian Graduate Student Kidnapped in Iraq Has Been Released, Trump and Family Say
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Overview

  • President Trump announced the release and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani confirmed it, stating Tsurkov is at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
  • Elizabeth Tsurkov was abducted in Baghdad in March 2023 during field research and was widely believed to be held by the Iran‑backed militia Kata'ib Hezbollah, with a proof‑of‑life video airing in November 2023.
  • Her family thanked Special Envoy Adam Boehler, U.S. Embassy officials in Baghdad, and the nonprofit Global Reach, and Princeton’s president welcomed the news.
  • Global Reach said she received a medical assessment at the embassy, and news outlets reported no U.S. military operation took place as details of the handover remain unclear.
  • Tsurkov holds Israeli and Russian citizenship, entered Iraq on a Russian passport, and was held for roughly 903 days before being turned over to U.S. authorities.