International organizations call on the Iraqi government to work to release the kidnapped Israeli re

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[size=52]International organizations call on the Iraqi government to work to release the kidnapped Israeli researcher[/size]

[size=45]Four international organizations have called on the Iraqi government to take steps to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Elizabeth Tsurkov, a US-based researcher who was kidnapped in Iraq on March 21, 2023.[/size]
[size=45]The organizations are: Democracy Now for the Arab World, Scholars at Risk Network, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch.[/size]
[size=45]Tsurkov, who holds dual Russian and Israeli citizenship, is a doctoral student in the Department of Politics at Princeton University in the United States. New Lines Magazine reported that she was conducting field research on Shiite movements in Iraq when she was kidnapped in the Karrada neighborhood in central Baghdad. Her family said she underwent emergency spinal surgery to treat a herniated disc eight days before she was kidnapped.[/size]
[size=45]Human Rights Watch quoted Adam Coogle, the organization’s deputy Middle East director, as saying: “The kidnapping of Elizabeth Tsurkov falls within the pattern of targeted kidnappings in Iraq by state and non-state parties, all of which are carried out without accountability.”[/size]
[size=45]He also said, “The Iraqi government is responsible for doing everything in its power to ensure her safety, release her, and hold her kidnappers accountable.”[/size]
[size=45]The Iraqi government opened an investigation into her kidnapping in July, but has not yet announced any results or progress. Rights Watch said that the authorities should bring those suspected of criminal responsibility to justice in fair trials.[/size]
[size=45]Tsurkov, who entered Iraq on her Russian passport on January 28, has written extensively about the Levant, especially Iraq, Syria, Israel, and Palestine. She has more than ten years of experience volunteering and working with human rights organizations in the Middle East that fight for the rights of Palestinians, refugees and immigrants, victims of torture, victims of human trafficking, and ethnic and religious minorities.[/size]
[size=45]Her family said her doctoral research focuses on the political movement headed by Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, and the “Tishreen” movement – ​​mass protests that broke out in Iraq between 2019 and 2021. Tsurkov is also a fellow at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, a research organization based in Washington, and a research fellow at the Forum for Regional Thinking, an Israeli-Palestinian research organization based in Jerusalem.[/size]
[size=45]Emma Tsurkov, Elizabeth’s sister, said: “My sister is a good person, a brilliant researcher, and a committed human rights activist. “Her work has always been rooted in belief in the common humanity of every person, and in listening and understanding how people different from her view their lives.”[/size]
[size=45]Speaking to the four organizations, she added that her sister began learning the Arabic language after obtaining her bachelor’s degree in 2011. She added: “Elizabeth feels strongly that the true value of academic research lies in building understanding between people who have a history of conflict. This is what attracted her to Iraq, and that is why she committed to learning the Arabic language.”[/size]
[size=45]Emma Tsurkov said her family is concerned about Elizabeth's health and safety. She added: “She was kidnapped just eight days after undergoing emergency spinal surgery. She still has stitches in her back and is taking medication. “We are very concerned for her and want her to return home to the United States.”[/size]
[size=45]The first public report on the kidnapping identifying Elizabeth Tsurkov by name appeared on June 14, in an article on the military affairs website “1945.”[/size]
[size=45]The Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued a statement on July 5 saying that Tsurkov was being held by Kataib Hezbollah, but the group publicly denied the allegation.[/size]
[size=45]Kataib Hezbollah is a unit of the Popular Mobilization Forces, an armed group officially under the control of the Prime Minister since 2016. Kataib Hezbollah operates the 45th, 46th, and 47th brigades of the Popular Mobilization Forces. It receives government funding and its chain of command nominally extends to the Prime Minister’s Council, according to the report issued by the organizations.[/size]
[size=45]The organizations said forced disappearances are being used to silence activists and protesters, and have had a chilling effect on freedom of expression in Iraq.[/size]
[size=45]Iraq is a state party to the “International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance,” and is obligated to criminalize enforced disappearance, investigate it, bring those responsible to justice, and ensure compensation for the victims.[/size]
[size=45]Enforced disappearance is not currently considered a crime under Iraqi law. Enforced disappearance violates a range of human rights, including the right to security and personal dignity, the right not to be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, and the right to humane conditions of detention.[/size]
[size=45]The four organizations concluded their report by saying that Russia and the United States should use their influence in Iraq to help secure Tsurkov's immediate release.[/size]
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