An Israeli-Russian woman, Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was held captive for nearly three years by militants in Iraq has recounted her harrowing ordeal. The 39-year-old PhD student at Princeton University revealed the gruesome details of how she used her knowledge to fabricate confessions to avoid further torture while being detained.
The ordeal began when two men dragged Ms Tsurkov behind her car and beat her, before taking her to a remote location where she was subjected to extreme abuse for 100 days. She said she suffered physical and mental trauma, which included being trussed and hung from the ceiling, whipped, electrocuted, and sexually abused.
Ms Tsurkov attempted to outsmart her captors by claiming she was a Russian citizen, but they soon discovered that she held Israeli citizenship through her parents. After accessing her phone, they realized that she wasn't a spy, leading them to use more brutal methods of torture.
The torture included hanging Ms Tsurkov from the ceiling with her hands cuffed behind her back, as well as using what she described as "Middle Eastern specialties" that left her dislocated and severely injured. She even invented confessions about herself to try and escape further abuse.
Ms Tsurkov believes she was held by members of Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed militia group in Iraq. The organization is designated a terrorist group by the US and others.
She has undergone therapy since her release, struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and feelings of insecurity and anger among Israelis. Ms Tsurkov claims that events over the last two years have left her more pessimistic about peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
She had previously worked with victims of torture but revealed that nothing prepares one for such an experience. The trauma also affected her mentally, causing her to internalize some of the views of her abusers.
Despite all this, Ms Tsurkov remains determined to complete her PhD at Princeton University.
The ordeal began when two men dragged Ms Tsurkov behind her car and beat her, before taking her to a remote location where she was subjected to extreme abuse for 100 days. She said she suffered physical and mental trauma, which included being trussed and hung from the ceiling, whipped, electrocuted, and sexually abused.
Ms Tsurkov attempted to outsmart her captors by claiming she was a Russian citizen, but they soon discovered that she held Israeli citizenship through her parents. After accessing her phone, they realized that she wasn't a spy, leading them to use more brutal methods of torture.
The torture included hanging Ms Tsurkov from the ceiling with her hands cuffed behind her back, as well as using what she described as "Middle Eastern specialties" that left her dislocated and severely injured. She even invented confessions about herself to try and escape further abuse.
Ms Tsurkov believes she was held by members of Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed militia group in Iraq. The organization is designated a terrorist group by the US and others.
She has undergone therapy since her release, struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and feelings of insecurity and anger among Israelis. Ms Tsurkov claims that events over the last two years have left her more pessimistic about peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
She had previously worked with victims of torture but revealed that nothing prepares one for such an experience. The trauma also affected her mentally, causing her to internalize some of the views of her abusers.
Despite all this, Ms Tsurkov remains determined to complete her PhD at Princeton University.
I'm not buying it. How can we trust a woman who was held captive for 3 years and then just magically starts spouting propaganda about Israelis and Palestinians? I mean, she's been working with victims of torture before and now she's all like 'nothing prepares one for such an experience'? 
I'm still shook by Elizabeth's story! It's insane to think about what she went through - 100 days of pure hell and then having to fabricate confessions just to survive? 
The fact that she was a victim of torture and yet found a way to keep her humanity is truly inspiring. Her experience has left her with PTSD, but it's amazing how strong she is still. I'm not surprised she's feeling pessimistic about peace between Israelis and Palestinians - who wouldn't be after going through something like that? 
I hope she gets the support and therapy she needs to recover fully. And can we talk about how brave she was to share her story publicly? 
i can imagine how scared she must've felt, being dragged away from her car and all that. its a good thing she was able to use her knowledge to try and protect herself tho, thats some pretty clever thinking 
still gotta be super tough for her after everything she went thru though PTSD is no joke 
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Anyway, I'm so proud of her for not giving up on her PhD goals despite all this 
. I mean, can you even imagine being dragged behind a car and beaten for 100 days straight? It's like something out of a horror movie. And the fact that she had to fake confessions to avoid getting worse treatment... it's just heartbreaking. I'm so glad she was able to escape and get help, but at the same time, it's crazy that people still think torture is an effective way to get info 
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It just goes to show how brutal and inhumane some groups can be.
. As someone who values human rights and dignity, it's heartbreaking to see someone go through such trauma and come out with feelings of insecurity and anger. 
also btw is it normal for ppl to use "middle eastern specialties" as torture methods 
. I guess that says a lot about her strength and resilience. I can only imagine how hard it must be for her to balance her recovery with her academic life, but I have no doubt she'll get through it 
. btw, did u hear about this new app that helps ppl overcome PTSD? 
. And then she has to fabricate confessions just to survive? That's so messed up 
. It's not easy to come back from something like that. But still, she wants to finish her PhD? That takes a lot of guts 
. Maybe it's good for her to focus on something else, get some therapy and prioritize her own recovery?
it's crazy how ppl think they're above the law just 'cause of their nationality or whatever 
, I mean what's the point of even trying to fabricate confessions when you're just gonna get hurt more 
. I guess that's what resilience is all about, right? Keeping going even when everything seems impossible 
#SurvivorTales #TraumaAwareness #ResilienceMatters