Iraq’s Foreign Minister informed the US-based Axios news outlet that Elizabeth Tsurkov, the Israeli national who was kidnapped in the country nearly two years ago on espionage charges, is alive. He added that Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani is actively working to secure her release.
Tsurkov, 36, is an Israeli-Russian dual citizen. She had previously lived in the United States while pursuing her PhD studies at Princeton University. She was abducted in Baghdad on 26 March 2023 during a visit to the city, reportedly by the group Kata’ib Hezbollah, though the group denies involvement.
The Iraqi Foreign Minister’s comments come about two weeks after a senior Israeli official told the Washington Post that Israel had recently intensified efforts to secure her release. According to the official, Israel’s allies are also helping with these efforts.
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