Surviving Torture: Elizabeth Tsurkov's Ordeal

Elizabeth Tsurkov, a 38-year-old Israeli-Russian doctoral student, endured two and a half years of brutal captivity and torture in Iraq at the hands of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militia. Abducted in March 2023, she was subjected to intense physical and psychological abuse, including electrocution, inappropriate touching, and solitary confinement. Her captors discovered her Israeli identity, accusing her of being a spy and escalating the torture. After four and a half months, she was moved to a base near the Iranian border, where the physical torture stopped, but her hopes for release diminished due to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel. Tsurkov was eventually released, thanks to significant pressure from US officials, and is now recovering in Israel, determined to finish her doctorate and return to her research, focusing on marginalized groups. The Daily News Now! — Every city. Every story. AI-powered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.