Fairuz Yamulky ia a 39-year-old Canadian of Kurdish descent. She was in Iraq as the COO of a Mideast-based company involved in reconstruction. She was abducted during an ambush on a convoy.

Ms. Yamulky's kidnapping was kept secret by her family and the Canadian authorities to allow negotiations to proceed without publicity. The process of gaining Ms. Yamulky's freedom was complicated by the captors' demands of US$2.5 million, the release of prisoners in Iraq and construction of new houses to replace those destroyed during the U.S. invasion.

Ms. Yamulky managed to persuade one of the kidnappers to flee with her, swearing to keep him safe. She did not promise to help him immigrate to Canada, as has been widely misreported. She confirms that he is indeed safe, but remains tight-lipped about his location or situation, citing her promise.

After Ms. Yamulky's escape, her captors issued a video stating that they released her in exchange for a promise from her employer to withdraw from Iraq, something both she and her company flatly deny.

Fairuz Yamulky is the mother of two boys.