US President Donald Trump announced yesterday that the woman kidnapped by the Iranian-backed Iraqi militia "Kataib Hezbollah" has been released, DPA reported, quoted by BTA, referring to his post on his social platform "Truth Social".
"I am pleased to announce that Elizabeth Tsurkov, a student at Princeton University, whose sister is a US citizen, has just been released," Trump wrote. The president added that the woman "is now safe and is in the US embassy in Iraq after being tortured for many months."
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also confirmed that the woman had been released, calling her a "Russian citizen."
According to previous reports of the woman's abduction in Iraq, Elizabeth Tsurkov holds dual Russian and Israeli citizenship.
The Israeli government said the woman had been held by pro-Iranian Shiite militias since March 2023. The doctoral student at an elite American university is believed to have traveled to Iraq on her Russian passport for research purposes.
Iraq and Israel are long-standing rivals. Israelis are not allowed to enter the country. However, entering Iraq with a Russian passport is possible.
The Iranian-backed Iraqi militia "Kataib Hezbollah" is one of the strongest and most influential groups in Iraq.