Trump says Princeton student Elizabeth Tsurkov has been released and is at U.S. embassy in Iraq

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Princeton University doctoral student Elizabeth Tsurkov has been released from captivity and is now inside the U.S. embassy in Iraq, writing the claim on his Truth Social platform.

Trump said Tsurkov, a Russian‑Israeli dual citizen who identifies as Jewish, was "just released" by Kata'ib Hezbollah and had been held for roughly two years after being abducted in Baghdad in 2023 while conducting academic research for her dissertation. Her family has said she was detained after being seized at a café in the Karrada district; reports have alleged she suffered mistreatment while detained.

In his post, Trump wrote, "I will always fight for JUSTICE, and never give up," and added, "HAMAS, RELEASE THE HOSTAGES, NOW!" He said Tsurkov is safe inside the American embassy in Iraq. Tsurkov’s family has said she has a sister who is an American citizen.

Tsurkov, who has studied in the United States, was taken in 2023 amid ongoing tensions and violence in the region. Kata'ib Hezbollah is an Iraqi armed group; news organizations and officials have in the past distinguished it from the Lebanese organization Hezbollah. Trump’s post framed the announcement in the wider context of regional hostage situations.

There was no immediate official confirmation of the release in public statements from the U.S. State Department or Iraqi authorities at the time of the post. The circumstances of Tsurkov’s detention, the identity and motives of those who held her, and the arrangements that led to her release have not been independently verified in published statements prior to this report.

Elizabeth Tsurkov had been conducting dissertation research in Iraq when she was seized. Her case drew attention from human rights groups and academic colleagues who had called for information about her whereabouts and welfare during her detention. The announcement that she had been freed will likely prompt requests for official confirmation and more detail from U.S. and Iraqi officials as well as from organizations involved in detainee advocacy and diplomatic mediation.

Further statements from the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Iraqi authorities, and any groups claiming responsibility for her detention are expected to clarify the timeline and conditions of her release.