Summary
An Israeli-Russian woman named Elizabeth Tsurkov shared her experience of being held captive and tortured by militants in Iraq for over two years. She was kidnapped while conducting research in Baghdad and endured severe abuse for 100 days. She was released in September after her captors discovered her Israeli citizenship from her phone.
Key Facts
- Elizabeth Tsurkov was held captive for 903 days by militants in Iraq.
- She experienced severe abuse, including beatings, electrocutions, and sexual abuse, for 100 days.
- Tsurkov was abducted in Baghdad while doing research for her PhD in comparative politics.
- Her captors realized she was Israeli after accessing her phone, which led to harsher treatment.
- She believes her captors were members of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia.
- Tsurkov tried to avoid torture by making up confessions based on her captors' beliefs.
- The torture stopped after she was moved to a different location, but she remained in confinement.
- Mark Savaya, a U.S. businessman, played a role in her release by campaigning for her freedom.
