Trump's special envoy demands Iraqi premier immediately release kidnapped Princeton student

Donald Trump's special envoy for hostages, Adam Boehler, has demanded that the Iraqi Prime Minister immediately release Princeton University doctoral student Elizabeth Tsurkov.

“Elizabeth Tsurkov is a Princeton student held hostage in Iraq! The Iraqi PMO [Prime Minister] consistently made false promises to the prior administration about releasing her. BUT NOW Donald Trump IS ON TO YOU! If Elizabeth Tsurkov does not come home NOW than Iraqi PMO is either incapable and should be FiRED or worse COMPLICIT. Bring Elizabeth home now!” Boehler wrote on X, reposting a publication by Elizabeth's sister Emma Tsurkov, Caliber.Az reports.

Elizabeth Tsurkov was born in Russia. At the age of 4, her family moved to Israel. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz wrote that the researcher's parents were dissidents and served time for criticizing the lack of freedoms in the USSR. In 1990, they left the country and lost their citizenship, and in 2001, all family members received Russian citizenship.

Tsurkov worked on her doctoral dissertation for Princeton University (New Jersey, the US). She volunteered for several human rights organizations in the Middle East - she defended the rights of Palestinians, criticised Israeli policies and Russia's actions in Syria.

In March 2023, Tsurkov disappeared in Iraq. In July, it became known that the scientist was being held by pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. Israel placed responsibility for the fate of its citizen on Iraq. In early summer 2023, Iraqi authorities announced the start of an investigation into the kidnapping case.

By Khagan Isayev