Over the last week, there have been increasing reports about attempts to free Princeton researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped in Iraq in March 2023. Tsurkov, who holds Israeli and Russian citizenship, has been held in Iraq for 800 days and is believed to have been kidnapped by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia with close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Kataib Hezbollah and its leaders have been sanctioned by the United States, which has also designated the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
In the past six months, pressure has increased on Iraq’s government to locate and free Tsurkov. In March, Iraqi officials said the government was seeking to find the researcher, but any such efforts have shown no progress.
Last week, Iraq’s Al Rabiaa channel reported that a deal to free Tsurkov might be reached involving an exchange in which Iranians and others held in regional countries would be released for the Princeton researcher. One of those named for possible release is Mohammad Reza Nouri, who was arrested for killing American teacher Stephen Troell in Iraq in 2022. These reports received widespread attention in Israeli media. However, The Jerusalem Post noted on May 24 that an unnamed US State Department official said the reports were false. A senior US official also told Israel’s Ynet that “the United States has no intention of agreeing to the release of Mohammad Reza Nouri.”
Iraq’s Shafaq News has reported on possible recent negotiations and named Imad Amhaz, a Lebanese naval captain it claimed is held in Israel, as one of the individuals Kataib Hezbollah wants to be released. Amhaz’s name also arose in January reports as someone the group wished to swap for Tsurkov. Additionally, Shafaq News said that Kataib Hezbollah wants a ransom for the researcher. Although the Iraqi news site reported on May 25 that the deal was still incomplete, it added on May 26 that “the Coordination Framework, which brings together Shiite political forces, revealed on Monday [continuing] government efforts to secure the release of the Israeli woman, Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was kidnapped in Iraq.”
Adi Abdul Hadi, a leading member of the Coordination Framework, said, “There are negotiations between government agencies and other parties to seek the release of the Israeli hostage in Iraq, Elizabeth Tsurkov. […] These negotiations are positive, especially since the government is embracing this issue and is committed to releasing Tsurkov.”
Al-Akhbar, a Lebanese media website that is considered pro-Hezbollah, issued a report on May 26 headlined, “Tsurkov negotiations progress: A swap deal within days.” The report claimed that talks for her release had entered a “new phase.”
On May 29, The Associated Press added new details to reports of talks regarding Tsurkov. “Negotiators are focusing on an exchange that would include seven Lebanese captured during the latest war between Israel and Hezbollah. But Iraqi and Lebanese officials told The Associated Press the talks recently stalled over Iran’s demand for the release of one of its citizens detained in Iraq for the killing of an American,” the AP noted.
The AP report stated that US officials went to Baghdad a month ago to “mediate for Tsurkov’s release” and “Adam Boehler, the Trump administration’s top hostage envoy, has repeatedly called for Tsurkov’s release and has traveled to Iraq to press his case.” State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said, “We have and will continue to underscore with the Iraqi government the urgency of securing her release.”
The AP also added details on who might be released in exchange for Tsurkov. “[An] Iraqi official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. and Israel do not object to the release of the Lebanese prisoners held in Israel,” according to the report, which noted that Hezbollah wants “seven Lebanese prisoners, some of whom are associated with Hezbollah and a Lebanese navy officer [freed].”
Reports on Tsurkov have recently received attention in regional and local Iraqi media and generated interest on social media among Arabic-language commentators. Iraq’s ShafaqNews has published four reports on the negotiations between May 24 and 26.
