Israel did not seek the Russian Foreign Ministry’s assistance in efforts to secure the release of Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped in Baghdad and is being held by Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.
Tsurkov, also holds Russian citizenship and entered Iraq on a Russian passport, but according to Saturday's report, her relatives also didn’t contact the Russian embassy for help .
The Russian embassy in Israel has been silent over Tsurkov’s case and has refrained from making any public statements.
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Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped in Baghdad and is being held by Kata'ib Hezbollah in Iraq
The reason Russia isn’t showing interest in the issue may be due to the fact that Tsurkov arrived in Iraq as part of her doctoral work for Princeton University in the United States, and also because she is a human rights activist who criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin over the country’s war in Ukraine.
U.S.-based news outlet Al-Monitor claim that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is directly involved in the attempt to secure Tsurkov's release with Putin’s help. Sources quoted in Al-Monitor say they are confident that the kidnappers are working in coordination with Iran to use her as a bargaining chip in a potential prisoner exchange deal.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin has no information about Tsurkov. "We’ll turn to the Foreign Ministry for help because steps to protect our interests are usually taken by Russia’s diplomatic bodies," he explained.
IRAQI GOVERNMENT OPENS PROBE INTO KIDNAPPING OF ISRAELI-RUSSIAN ACADEMIC
Tsurkov's sister, Emma, who lives in the U.S., said that her family did not approach Russia, but added she’s aware the Russian government is taking part in the negotiations for her sister's release. She revealed that Tsurkov's family decided to stay silent about her kidnapping, hoping that Elizabeth would be quickly released if the case did not get attention.
On Friday, Iraqi television channel Al-Rabiaa released what it claimed was documentation of Tsurkov’s final moments of freedom. In the video, allegedly filmed in March, Tsurkov can be seen leaving a café accompanied by another person before she was kidnapped.
Hezbollah’s head of security addressed Tsurkov's abduction for the first time on Thursday, claiming she was a Mossad agent, despite Israel's clarification that she arrived in the country as part of her doctoral research.
"Netanyahu's acknowledgment of an Israeli security official held as a prisoner in Iraq is a very dangerous indication. We must handle this accurately and decisively. The Iraqi security forces’ responsibility is to expose networks connected to Israel,” the official said.
“Hezbollah will make efforts to determine the status of the Zionist captive in Iraq,” he added. “We’ll act to uncover more about the criminals and those who assist their communications with a prohibited country."
According to reports, Elizabeth Tsurkov was abducted while sitting in the Ridha Alwan cafe in Baghdad's Karada neighborhood on March 26. The New York Times reported 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 10 occasions as part of her research. On her 10th 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.
The New Lines Institute, which published articles by Tsurkov, has called on the U.S. to make efforts for her release. The Americans, however, aren’t rushing to do so.
In response to Ynet's inquiry on the matter, the U.S. Department of State said, "We’re aware of the kidnapping and condemn it.”
Tsurkov's issue won’t be resolved soon, Israeli experts believe. No expectations have been published about her possible release, and it’s unlikely that Israel will hold direct negotiations or pay for her release as in previous cases of Israeli kidnappings. For now, the country sees the Iraqi government as responsible for her safety.