Elizabeth Tsurkov’s sister says she took 'precautions' in Iraq before abduction

Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, kidnapped in Iraq by the Kataib Hezbollah militia last March and whose case became public this week, was already taking several precautions when traveling to the country, her sister Emma Tsurkov told Al-Monitor, emphasizing that her sibling was aware of the risks involved for an Israeli national to visit Iraq.

Emma, speaking on the phone from her residence in California, said she last spoke to her 36-year-old sister on March 20. 

"Elizabeth apparently disappeared on March 21 or 22. The day before, I spoke with her on the phone. It was a usual conversation, like the ones we had practically every day,” Emma said.

In their last conversation, Emma didn't suspect any cause for alarm. It was another one of their chats about her work and the interviews she was doing overseas. “The day after, I sent her on WhatsApp pictures of my son, her beloved nephew. When the hours passed and she did not respond to the pictures, I knew something was wrong."

Elizabeth, who is a doctoral student at Princeton University, went to Iraq to do research for her dissertation centered around the Sadrist movement, an Iraqi Shiite Islamic national movement and political party. She made several trips to Iraq in 2021, and she entered the country last in January on her Russian passport.

Realizing that something went wrong with no response to the messages, Emma contacted Israeli authorities in late March. The family has been in contact with Israeli officials ever since, and believes that they are committed to Elizabeth’s safety and to bringing her home.

Family decision not to go public

The kidnapping was kept under wraps until July 5 when news about the incident broke. A few hours later, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement confirming that Elizabeth was taken by Kataib Hezbollah and that Israel was holding Iraqi authorities responsible for her well-being. Emma said that it was the family, not the Israeli authorities, who had decided to keep the kidnapping out of the public eye, hoping it could be resolved quickly and away from the press.

"It was our decision. We hoped we could reach a quick and quiet solution to this situation without it becoming an international sensation. We were not silenced. It was our choice,” she insisted. “We really hoped this could be resolved discreetly and for Elizabeth to be freed quickly."

It was not immediately clear to the family what happened in the days following the kidnapping. "Israeli authorities kept updating us one day after the other. There was not one specific moment that the reality of what happened to Elizabeth was revealed to us. Rather, we received bits and pieces of information on what occurred, who was involved, etc.,” she said.

Emma said it took time to get the information and piece together the full picture.

Apart from the Israeli authorities, Emma said that she is also in contact with her sister's college Princeton University in the United States, and confirmed that the Russian government is involved in the negotiations. Elizabeth was born in Russia before the family emigrated to Israel. 

"I know that the Russians are involved, but we are not in direct contact with them. The same is true for the Americans. I am not sure about the extent of their involvement,” she added.

The kidnapping happened as Elizabeth was finishing her research. "My sister is an ambitious researcher, but she is also very precise. She searches for the truth. Her study is not about slogans, but about understanding ordinary people. It’s not the kind of study that you can carry out via Zoom or from a distance,” Emma explained. “She wanted to understand how ordinary people grasp political consciousness, so fieldwork was very important for her. That's why she traveled to Baghdad."

In doing so, Elizabeth was well aware of the dangers of traveling to Iraq, Emma argued — the way she was aware of the risks she was taking in past years when traveling to Lebanon and Syria.

"Of course she had concerns. She understood only too well the regional geopolitical sensitivities. She used to tell me that she was managing the risks by taking precautions,” Emma said. "She always calculated the risks of her fieldwork. She did not meet with any militia members, only with regular people."

Emma said she knew her sister was in Baghdad and that she always told her where she was traveling to.

"She was not under any specific or concrete threat. I was always worried, but she kept telling me she was being careful," Emma said.

Asked about Elizabeth's health, Emma said she believes her sister is doing “fine.” Elizabeth wrote on social media about recovering from back surgery on March 18, only days before the kidnapping, and she was suffering from the effects of long COVID-19.

Iraqi government spokesman Bassem al-Awadi said late Thursday that the Iraqi government is conducting a probe into the kidnapping.

"Given the level of the case and its intricacies, there will be no official statement regarding this matter until the Iraqi government completes its official investigation and reaches conclusions," he said.