Amnesty International reports:

Margarita Ersenoeva, the mother of journalist Elina Ersenoeva, who "disappeared" on 17 August, has not been seen since 2 October 2006, and it is believed she may have been abducted or subjected to enforced disappearance. Margarita Ersenoeva had gone to see her mother that day, in the village of Starye Atagi in Chechnya. While she was there, she reportedly received a call on her mobile phone, and told her mother that it was from one of the investigators into her daughter’s abduction, who wanted to tell her some good news. She said this man had told her that he was currently in the same village, and she went immediately to meet with him in the building of the village administration. However, when her family looked for her later that day, they were told that she had not arrived at the village administration and that anyway, nobody there had requested her to come. Following media attention on the "disappearance" of Elina Ersenoeva, and revelations about her marriage to Chechen separatist fighter Shamil Basaev, it was initially thought that Margarita Ersenoeva might have gone into hiding to avoid further persecution of herself and her family. However, it is now believed that she too has been "disappeared", as she has failed to contact her friends and family.