Former hostage Tsurkov sues Israeli journalists over false reports during captivity
A journalist from Israeli Channel 12 reportedly published an article accusing her of ignoring security warnings prior to her trip to Iraq
Elizabeth Tsurkov, the Israeli-Russian researcher who was held captive in Iraq for two and a half years, has sent a formal notice letter to Channel N12 and journalists Ohad Hemo and Yaron Avraham, accusing them of publishing false information about her during her kidnapping.
She is demanding a public apology and symbolic compensation of 50,000 shekels, which she intends to donate to the independent media outlet The Seventh Eye to support ethical journalism.
Tsurkov was kidnapped in Baghdad in March 2023 by the Hezbollah Brigades, a pro-Iranian Shia militia, and was released in September 2025 following diplomatic efforts by the U.S. administration.
Upon returning to Israel, Tsurkov discovered that multiple Israeli media outlets had published inaccurate claims about her, which she says "harmed the release efforts and even put her life in danger."
In her legal notice, Tsurkov alleges that journalist Ohad Hemo falsely reported, the day after her abduction, that she had arranged a meeting with her captors, naming a senior militia official. “This claim is completely false; I have never had any contact with this person,” she stated, noting that even Iraq experts she consulted were unfamiliar with the name mentioned.
Two days later, journalist Yaron Avraham reportedly published an article accusing her of ignoring security warnings prior to her trip to Iraq. Tsurkov described these remarks as defamatory, emphasizing that verification with Israeli security services would have been straightforward.
The former hostage claims that the News 12 articles, which were picked up internationally in English and Arabic, portrayed her as an “irresponsible adventurer,” complicating efforts to secure her release and obscuring the suffering she endured while in captivity, during which her captors suspected her of being an Israeli spy.
Tsurkov’s legal action underscores her effort to hold media accountable for reporting responsibly, particularly in situations involving the safety of individuals in conflict zones.