Footage of Tsurkov just before abduction
(Video: al-Rabiaa TV)
On Thursday night, Iraqi TV channel Al-Rabiaa released what it claimed to be the latest footage of Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was abducted in Baghdad and is currently being held by the Iraqi Kataib Hezbollah. The video, reportedly filmed in March of this year, shows Tsurkov leaving a café in the company of another individual before her abduction took place.
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The head of the security bureau in the Kataib Hezbollah militia made his first public statement regarding the kidnapping of Elizabeth Tsurkov, referring to her as a Mossad agent, despite Israel's clarification that she was a researcher conducting her research in Iraq. According to him, "Netanyahu's acknowledgment of the presence of an Israeli security woman as a captive in Iraq is an extremely dangerous indication.
"We must handle this acknowledgment with precision and decisiveness. Iraqi security agencies should uncover the networks linked to Israel. Kataib Hezbollah will exert significant efforts to determine the fate of the female captive or the Zionist captives in Iraq. We will strive to gather more information about this criminal gang and those who aid the organization that hails from a country where any contact is forbidden."
According to reports, Elizabeth Tsurkov was abducted while sitting in the Ridha Alwan cafe in Baghdad's Karada neighborhood on March 26. It was also reported by The New York Times that she had undergone emergency back surgery in the country shortly before her abduction. Despite being an active presence on social media, Tsurkov has not posted anything since March 21.
Tsurkov had visited Iraq on ten occasions as part of her research. On her tenth visit, on March 19, she communicated with the research institute in Washington where she was a fellow, expressing her intention to conclude her fieldwork and return. However, a week later, she was abducted from the cafe. More than three months have passed since then, and she remains in the custody of the Shia militia group Kataib Hezbollah.
The research institute stated to Ynet that Elizabeth Tsurkov "was in Iraq to complete field research for her doctoral thesis at Princeton University. We do not know if Princeton was aware of her physical presence in Iraq, and we are not aware of any security measures designed to protect her during her stay there. We have had no contact with her since her abduction and cannot provide any information on progress towards her release."
Tsurkov is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program at Princeton University's Department of Politics. Her academic focus lies in the field of comparative politics, and she has contributed articles based on her firsthand observations in Syria, as indicated on the website. A spokesperson from Princeton declined to comment on whether Tsurkov was conducting research on behalf of the university adding that this decision was made in adherence to the institution's policies and federal laws governing the privacy and safety of students.
"Elizabeth is a valued member of the Princeton University community," Michael Hotchkiss, University spokesperson, said in the statement. "We are deeply concerned for her safety and well-being, and we are eager for her to be able to rejoin her family and resume her studies."
Officials in Israel believe that Tsurkov's case is unlikely to be resolved soon. It's reasonable to assume Israel will not engage in direct negotiations or pay for her release as it has done in previous cases of Israeli abductions. In the meantime, Israel said it regards the Iraqi government as responsible for her well-being.