Call For Assistance to Help Secure the Release of Elizabeth Tsurkov Who Has Been Held Captive in Iraq for 6 Months

Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped in March 2023 in Iraq. Elizabeth volunteered together with PPI’s General Secretary and other Pirates to assist refugees in the Middle East, albeit with no direct connection to the Pirate movement. She might be surprised herself to hear that PPI has issued this call to assist her, but owing to the failure of formal diplomatic channels we might represent one of the best chances she has left. Elizabeth is a doctoral student at Princeton University. Her research focuses on human rights and sectarianism in the Middle East. One of Elizabeth’s remarkable qualities was her fluency in Arabic. She supported Palestinian and Muslim communities, and she is the last person who should have been abducted. Elizabeth was not just a scholar but also a compassionate human being with a profound commitment to helping those in need. For years she volunteered as a teacher and guide for refugees from Africa and the Middle East. Her abduction is an affront to everything we stand for—a world where people are free to help others. Her abduction sends a chilling message that those who advocate for human rights in challenging environments should not meet directly with the communities they are trying to assist.

Call to Action:

Pirate Parties International cannot remain silent in the face of this injustice. As various news channels indicate, the situation has grown bleak, and we must act quickly. We call on all our members, many of whom have diplomatic relations with Iraq, to assist in any way possible. These diplomatic channels may provide avenues to help Elizabeth that other nations cannot access. We urge our members to use their positions and influence to advocate for Elizabeth’s immediate and unconditional release.