Activists on social media circulated a video of Emma Tsourkov, the sister of Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsourkov, who was kidnapped shortly after arriving in Baghdad while using her Russian passport instead of her Israeli one in March 2023. In the video, Emma criticizes Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, calling on him to reveal her sister's fate. The video documents Emma Tsourkov interrupting the Prime Minister's speech at the Atlantic Council during his political seminar held during his visit to the United States and his meeting with President Joe Biden, demanding information about her sister's whereabouts after 13 months of her disappearance, and telling him that he does not have control over his own security forces.
Emma Tsourkov, the younger sister of Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsourkov, had previously spoken about the circumstances of her sister's kidnapping in Iraq and the significant concern it has caused her and her family since they learned the news. Israeli media quoted Emma saying, "Right after her kidnapping, we were afraid she would be killed." In an interview with Channel 11, she stated that "she knows her sister is alive, which means a lot." Emma also communicated with the Israeli newspaper "Maariv" and confirmed that she was "in daily contact with her sister."
She noted that "she spoke with her the day before she was kidnapped… then noticed the next day that she had not replied to my message. She always responded when I sent a video of my son, and when she did not reply, I knew something was wrong." Emma explained, "We are going through an extremely difficult time. It didn’t happen all of a sudden; it took us time to understand what was happening," noting that the family is in "constant contact with Israeli authorities and does not wish for anyone to go through the same circumstances."
Previously, a video was circulated on Monday, November 13, 2023, featuring the first appearance of the Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsourkov, who was reported kidnapped in Iraq in March 2023. Iraqi accounts posted a video allegedly showing Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Tsourkov, kidnapped in Iraq in March. In the video, Tsourkov, 37, calls for an end to the fighting in Gaza and asks for action to secure her release. According to Hebrew newspapers, the Israeli academic Elizabeth Tsourkov appeared in the video while in captivity.
The Israeli academic said in her video, "I left Israel and went to the United States, working for the CIA and the Mossad, and I worked in Syria to establish relations between Israel and the Syrian Democratic Forces." She added, "I visited Syria in 2022 as a Mossad and CIA operative, and I worked in Iraq by strengthening the disputes by organizing demonstrations in Iraq to create a Shiite-Shiite conflict in Iraq."
She also said, "I follow closely what happens in Gaza. I monitor the events daily in Gaza — the killing of children, women, and men, and the bombing of hospitals. This policy fosters hatred between us and the Palestinian people in Gaza, and it does not lead to peace with Gaza; this is a foolish administration on Netanyahu's part."
She further stated in the video: "I call on the families of the hostages in Gaza to constantly move to stop the war on Gaza for your sons and daughters; this war led by Netanyahu will result in the death of your children. I have been in captivity for seven months, and no one has acted to secure my release. I have served Israel, and I am in a difficult situation; to my family and friends, please work to secure my release as soon as possible to return to them."
How did she get to Iraq?
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported in a story published on Wednesday, July 5, 2023, that Tsourkov, a prominent expert on Middle Eastern affairs, was captured in early March. The report added that Tsourkov, who holds Russian citizenship, entered Iraq using her Russian passport and was reportedly kidnapped in early March while in the Kurdish region of Baghdad by a group of armed individuals.
Elizabeth Tsourkov, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Political Science at Princeton University, identifies herself as a researcher on jihadist groups, holds a master’s degree in Middle Eastern history from Tel Aviv University, and a bachelor’s degree in communications and international relations from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. According to the Lir Institute, her research focuses on Syria and Iraq, based on "a wide network of contacts and research trips in the Middle East." Elizabeth Tsourkov has nearly 10 years of experience in human rights organizations in Israel and the Middle East, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
In July 2019, after visiting the city of Mosul in northwestern Iraq, which became a symbol of the fight against ISIS, Elizabeth Tsourkov published an article in Yedioth Ahronoth. She described what was happening there by saying, "I have been conducting research on Kurdish communities in Iraq and Syria for years as part of the Regional Thinking Forum, an Israeli research institute. Recently, thanks to my Russian passport and my relationships with local Kurdish governments, I was able to visit areas under their control in northern Iraq and Syria."
Until then, Elizabeth Tsourkov was aware of the risks but clarified: "I was hesitant about visiting Mosul, partly due to the presence of armed groups in the city and the ongoing attacks by ISIS cells. However, appeals from my dear friend who lives in Mosul encouraged me to visit the city, and I did."
