Survivor's Tale: Israeli-Russian Woman Reveals Torture by Iraqi Militants

Fri Dec 05 2025 06:45:20 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Elizabeth Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian researcher who endured severe torture during her 903-day captivity in Iraq, shares her harrowing experience and the psychological toll of her abduction.

Elizabeth Tsurkov was held captive for two and a half years by militants in Iraq, where she faced brutal torture. After her release, she shared her story, detailing her suffering and the psychological scars left by her experience. Despite the trauma, she aims to continue her academic pursuits and advocate for peace.

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a 39-year-old Israeli-Russian woman, was held captive for over two and a half years by Iraqi militants. In a recent interview with the BBC, she recounted her traumatic experience, revealing that she invented false confessions to appease her captors and stop the brutal torture she was subjected to.

After being kidnapped in March 2023, Tsurkov endured severe abuse during the first 100 days of her captivity, which included being hung from the ceiling, whipped, electrically tortured, and sexually abused. Once her captors discovered her Israeli citizenship, the severity of her torture escalated.

Reflecting on her ordeal, Tsurkov explained her coping mechanism, stating, 'During the brief periods between torture, I tried to strategize. I created confessions based on their conspiracies to avoid further torture.' However, this strategy often resulted in more severe beatings, as her captors sought new confessions.

After 100 days of abuse, Tsurkov was moved to a different location, where the torture ceased. Her eventual release in September came after intense diplomatic pressure, with U.S. officials implying serious consequences for her captors if she was not freed.

Now recovering in Israel, Tsurkov aims to continue her academic work at Princeton University and is focused on healing from the psychological scars of her traumatic experience. 'I was lucky, in a very unlucky situation,' she stated regarding her release.