New Diplomatic Efforts Emerge in Elizabeth Tsurkov Kidnapping Case

In what equates to a shot-in-the-arm type of development for an almost year-long saga, Western diplomats have opened regular dialogue with Iraqi political leaders over the release of Elizabeth Tsurkov, the Russian-Israeli researcher whose disappearance in Baghdad last year sent shockwaves through academic and diplomatic circles.

Speaking to Erem News under conditions of anonymity, a source close to the negotiations said a multi-national diplomatic team is at work behind the scenes, shielded and coordinated by an international coalition. He said such sensitive discussions, though in their infancy, mark the first serious diplomatic movement in months.

“The situation remains incredibly complex,” said the source, who described a multi-layered negotiation process where intermediaries act as bridges for communications between international negotiators and the local armed groups believed to be holding Tsurkov.

The case of Elizabeth Tsurkov has moved hearts throughout the Middle East, where she was also known as an academic, but above all, as a fervent advocate of regional understanding. At Princeton University, where she pursued her doctorate in Political Science, her research was related to the complicated set of relations that different political and militant groups had with each other in Iraq.

Since that day, in Baghdad’s teeming Karrada district, where she was last seen leaving a local café, an ominous uncertainty has settled over the fate of the young researcher. The choosing to come into Iraq on her Russian passport, rather than her Israeli papers, was a reflection of her true commitment to the academic research – a decision later to be debated heatedly by security analysts as a point of concern.

In recent months, diplomatic activity has increased, with Israeli officials being reported to have established indirect contact with Tsurkov’s abductors through intermediaries. Nevertheless, the source emphasized that these discussions are still under preliminary stages as no tangible breakthrough has been achieved yet on her present condition or possible release.

The case has had the closest of attentions right at the top of the Iraqi government. The Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has now been personally interrogated by veteran CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour on the measures his government is taking to resolve the case during his latest visit to Washington. He responded with pledges of commitment to get to the bottom of what’s happened to Tsurkov as he faced growing pressure from the outside world regarding the pace of the investigation.

This has put Tsurkov at a peculiar vantage as a researcher and activist that gives extra dimensions into her case. Syrian revolution and the condemnation of the policies of Israel in Palestinian territories made her symbol of rights for justice meaningful throughout all political spectra – not without controversies though.

When the process remains ongoing under the supervision of several members of the international community, the diplomatic team is left with the unenviable task of keeping the process going without offending the interest of all the interested actors. The kidnap of Foley by the militants of a group, Kataib Hezbollah which supports Iran as opposed to IS complicates another arduous strand in the negotiations.

For now, those within the industry keep their fingers crossed, as they stressed that the process will take considerable time. Like any such cases, every small movement in the Right to Information Act is a big achievement However, the key tools in such a scenario are patience and diplomacy.