I Was Kidnapped by Idiots

Published: Sunday, January 11, 2026 at 12:00 pm

Russian-Israeli Researcher Detained in Iraq, Reveals Ordeal

A researcher, born in Russia and also an Israeli citizen, was kidnapped in March 2023 while conducting fieldwork in Iraq. The kidnappers, members of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, initially sought ransom. The researcher was held for over a year, enduring both physical and psychological abuse.

The captors, who believed the researcher was a spy, subjected him to interrogations and torture. The interrogators, lacking professional training, relied on brutal methods and were driven by conspiracy theories. They were particularly fixated on the researcher's Israeli citizenship, which they discovered after seizing his phone. Despite the researcher's repeated confessions under duress, the captors' ignorance and incompetence were evident. They were easily misled and failed to recognize the fabricated nature of the information they extracted.

The researcher's experience highlights the arbitrary nature of violence and the reliance on fear by authoritarian regimes. The captors' actions, driven by paranoia and a distorted view of reality, ultimately proved ineffective. The researcher was released in September 2024.

BNN's Perspective: This account offers a stark reminder of the dangers faced by researchers and the brutality of certain regimes. While the researcher's experience is harrowing, it also underscores the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity. The story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of misinformation and the importance of critical thinking.

Keywords: kidnapping, Iraq, Kataib Hezbollah, torture, interrogation, spy, Israeli, Russia, militia, Iran, researcher, captivity, confession, authoritarian regime, violence, ignorance, incompetence, release.

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