Who is Elizabeth Tzurkov and Why Was She Abducted by an Iranian-backed Militia in Baghdad?

Four months ago, a Russian-Israeli Princeton University doctoral student and human rights activist disappeared in Baghdad. Why was her abduction kept secret until last Wednesday?

Elizabeth Tzurkov is a 36-year-old Russian-Israeli PhD student at Princeton University. She is now believed to be held captive by Iraqi-based, Iranian-backed Shia extremists.

I first became aware of Tzurkov when I joined Twitter in 2014. She was a feisty voice advocating for the dispossessed and human rights, focusing on issues in Israel, Syria, Turkey a…