Iraq News Now

Shafaq News / Four international organizations, namely Democracy Now for the Arab World, Scholars at Risk Network, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, called on the Iraqi government today, Friday, to take steps to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Elizabeth Tsurkov.

In July 2023, it was reported that Elizabeth Tsurkov, a Russian-Israeli PhD student in the Political Science department at Princeton University, was kidnapped around late March while conducting her doctoral research in Baghdad, Iraq.

Tsurkov is an outspoken critic of human rights abuses in the Middle East. She has conducted research throughout the Levant region, focusing on the experiences of local people and abuses by powerful actors.

According to reports, Tsurkov’s last communications were on March 19, 2023, when she informed the New Lines Institute, where she is a research fellow, of her plans to return to the United States from Iraq, and March 21, 2023, when she tweeted about protests by Kurdish groups in northern Syria. Her whereabouts are still unknown.

Human Rights Watch quoted Adam Coogle, the organization's Deputy Middle East Director, as saying, "Elizabeth Tsurkov's kidnapping falls within a pattern of targeted abduction operations in Iraq carried out by state-affiliated and non-state actors, all of which are executed with impunity."

He also stated, "The Iraqi government is responsible for doing everything within its power to ensure her safety, secure her release, and hold her kidnappers accountable."

The Iraqi government opened an investigation into her abduction in July but has not yet announced any results or progress. Human Rights Watch emphasized that authorities should ensure that those criminally responsible are brought to justice in fair trials.

Tsurkov, who entered Iraq with her Russian passport on January 28, has written extensively about the Levant, especially Iraq, Syria, Israel, and Palestine. She has over a decade of experience in volunteer work and working with human rights organizations in the Middle East advocating for the rights of Palestinians, refugees, migrants, torture victims, and ethnic and religious minorities.

Her family described her as a kind-hearted person, a brilliant researcher, and a committed human rights activist. Her work has always been rooted in a belief in the common humanity of all people, listening, and understanding how people different from her view their lives.

Emma Tsurkov, Elizabeth's sister, said that her sister began learning Arabic after graduating in 2011. She added, "Elizabeth feels strongly that the true value of academic research lies in building understanding between people who have a history of conflict. This is what attracted her to Iraq, and this is why she committed to learning Arabic."

Emma Tsourkov added that her family is concerned about Elizabeth's health and safety, "She was kidnapped just eight days after undergoing emergency surgery for a herniated disc. She still has sutures in her back and is taking medication. We are very worried about her and want her to return to her home in the United States."

The first public report identifying Elizabeth Tsurkov by name as the abducted individual was published on June 14 in an article on the military affairs website "1945".

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Tsurkov is believed to be held by a Shiite militia, Kataib Hezbollah, which is a unit affiliated with al-Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces-PMF), officially under the control of the Prime Minister since 2016.

The Hezbollah Brigades oversee Brigades 45, 46, and 47, which are part of the Popular Mobilization Forces. They receive government funding, and their hierarchical chain of command ultimately leads to the Prime Minister's Council, according to the report issued by the organizations.

The organizations stated that enforced disappearance is used to silence activists and protesters and has had a chilling effect on freedom of expression in Iraq.

Iraq is a party to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and is obligated to criminalize enforced disappearance, investigate it, bring those responsible to justice, and ensure compensation for victims.

Currently, enforced disappearance is not considered a crime under Iraqi law. Enforced disappearance violates a range of human rights, including the right to security and personal dignity, the right not to be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and the right to humane conditions of detention.

The four organizations concluded their report by stating that Russia and the United States should use their influence with Iraq to help secure the immediate release of Tsurkov.