Israeli-Russia researchers were released after being “torturing for months” by Iraqi militia adduct squadrons, President Donald Trump announced.
In a post about the Truth Society, Trump said: “We are pleased to report that Elizabeth Tulkov, a Princeton student whose sister is an American citizen, has just been released by Kataib Hezbollah and is now safe at the US Embassy in Iraq.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shea al-Sudani confirmed Ms. Tulkov's release shortly afterwards.
She was missing in Iraq during a research trip in March 2023 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said months later she was being held by Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah.
In a post on X, Sudani said Ms. Tulkov's release was “a culmination of the extensive efforts that security services have put into effect over the months.”
He added that security services on Tuesday were able to “reveal” where the student was being detained before handing her over to the US embassy.
Ms Tsurkov entered Iraq with a Russian passport, Netanyahu's office said at the time.
According to Tsurkov's website, her research focuses on the Levant. It focuses on historical terms and “Syrian uprisings and civil wars,” referring to large geographical regions, including today's Israel, Syria and other regions.
Kataib Hezbollah (Brigade of the God Party) is a powerful Iraqi Shia militia with economic and military support from Iran. It was designated as a terrorist organization by the United States in 2009.
In a post Tuesday about Truth Social, Trump said: “I always fight for justice and never give up.
“Hamas, release hostages, now!” he added in a reference to those seized by Palestinian groups during the fatal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.