No deal involving Lebanese captives behind Tsurkov's release in Iraq
Sources close to the Iraqi government told AFP on Friday that no deal was made to secure the release of Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Tsurkov this week, saying her abductors had instead bowed to unspecified "pressure".
Kidnapped in Baghdad in March of 2023, Tsurkov was set free late Tuesday, hours after Israel carried out an unprecedented strike in Qatar targeting Hamas leaders. She was handed over to the U.S. embassy in Iraq, then flown the following day to Israel.
The Iraqi government, which always maintained it was working tirelessly to find Tsurkov, previously said she was abducted by "outlaws", while U.S. President Donald Trump said she was released by the powerful pro-Iran group Kataeb Hezbollah.
"No deal was struck to release the Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov," a source close to the Iraqi government told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the media.
"She was released without anything in exchange... only under pressure," he added, without providing details as to the nature of the pressure.
Another source close to the government likewise said "there was no deal, no payment, no prisoner release" in exchange.
Kataeb Hezbollah had previously implied it was not involved in the abduction, but a source in the group told AFP on Tuesday that Tsurkov was released "to spare Iraq any conflicts or fighting".
Tsurkov was released the same day that Israel targeted Hamas leaders in Doha, making Qatar the latest in a string of Middle Eastern countries Israel has struck since the outbreak of its war with Hamas in Gaza in October 2023.
After the Gaza war began, pro-Iran armed groups, including Kataeb Hezbollah, launched numerous attacks on US troops stationed in Iraq, as well as mostly failed attacks on Israel.
U.S. forces responded with heavy strikes, and the attacks have long since halted.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not respond to an AFP's question about Tsurkov being part of a deal.
Following her release, Lebanese local media reported that she was part of an exchange deal that included Lebanese Hezbollah members held in Israel.
But a senior Lebanese official told AFP he was unaware of any plans for Lebanese citizens to be released from Israel.
15 September 2025, 14:05
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Tehran on Monday urged Paris to explain the arrest in France of an Iranian woman who has been out of reach for weeks, as tensions mount between the two countries.
Times of Israel, 7 April 2025: Tehran demands France explain arrest of Iranian student
The French weekly Le Point identified the woman as Mahdieh Esfandiari, a 35-year-old French language graduate, who has lived in Lyon for eight years.
Her family, worried after losing contact, raised the alarm last month with Iranian authorities, who then contacted their French counterparts, Le Point reported, adding they have yet to hear back. French diplomatic sources said that Iranian authorities had been informed about the situation of their national, but the sources could not comment further, saying the matter concerned the interior and justice ministries. Neither ministry immediately responded to an AFP request for comment.
15 September 2025, 14:14
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200 days behind bars: Mahdieh Esfandiari case lays bare French ‘women’s rights’ charade PressTV.ir Monday, 15 September 2025 By Hoda Yaq
On March 3, 2025, Mahdieh Esfandiari, a 39-year-old Iranian academic living in Lyon, a city in east-central France, was arrested by French security officers after a surprise raid at her home.
Her family described it as a case of kidnapping or hostage-taking, saying the officers arrived unannounced, bundled her into a van, and held her without charge or legal counsel for months.
For more than 50 days, she was denied any phone access, kept in solitary confinement, and prevented from contacting her family or friends. This continued until mid-April.
According to Mahdieh’s communication with her family, her interrogation inside French police custody quickly turned into systematic psychological torment. They stripped her of her hijab (Islamic head covering), as her sister also revealed in a recent interview with Press TV.
