Elizabeth Tsurkov.Photo:AHMAD MOHAMAD/Ahmad Mohamad/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli-Russian academic Elizabeth Tsurkov who had been missing in Iraq for months. Tsurkov is being held by the pro-Iran armed faction Kataeb Hezbollah,

AHMAD MOHAMAD/Ahmad Mohamad/AFP via Getty Images

Tsurkov, an Israeli-Russian dual citizen fluent in Arabic, had traveled to Iraq on her Russian passport while working on her doctorate and academic research, the prime minister’s office said, noting in the statement: “We hold Iraq responsible for her safety and well-being.” Iraq considers Israel a hostile state and has banned contact between the nations – so Tsurkov was only admitted into the country because of her Russian passport.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Known for insightful commentary on the Middle East, Tsurkov worked as a fellow at Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, a U.S. foreign policy non-profit think-tank based in Washington, D.C., according toher LinkedIn account.

Elizabeth Tsurkov.HANDOUT/Newlines Institute for Strategy /AFP via Getty Images

Elizabeth Tsurkov. An Israeli-Russian academic who had been missing in Iraq for months is being held by the pro-Iran armed faction Kataeb Hezbollah

HANDOUT/Newlines Institute for Strategy /AFP via Getty Images

Tsurkov’s family released a statement holding Iraq accountable and asking “for her immediate release from this unlawful detention,” according toThe Times.

In a statementposted to Twitteryesterday, Princeton University said: “We are deeply concerned for her safety and wellbeing, and we are eager for her to be able to rejoin her family and resume her studies.”

source: people.com