Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Courtesy photo
Friends and colleagues of Elizabeth Tsurkov, a dual Russian-Israeli citizen who was kidnapped by an Iran-backed militia in Iraq earlier this year, are slamming what they describe as dangerous lies spreading online about the Princeton doctoral student.
Tsurkov, 36, went missing in March after traveling to Iran on a research trip for her dissertation, Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement this week, adding that she was abducted by Kataib Hezbollah, a notorious militia group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S.
“She is an academic who visited Iraq on her Russian passport, at her own initiative pursuant to work on her doctorate and academic research on behalf of Princeton University in the U.S.” the Wednesday statement said. “Elizabeth Tsurkov is still alive and we hold Iraq responsible for her safety and well-being.”