14 March 2007, 22:40
Lady-journalist Ersenoyeva, kidnapped in Chechnya, did not ask for US asylum
The close people of journalist Elina Ersenoyeva who was kidnapped in Chechnya last August doubt that she could have an opportunity to apply for political shelter in the USA.
"Elina Ersenoyeva was kidnapped, and nothing is known about her fate for nine months already. Nobody has any grounds to think that she is that very "Maria Ivanova," who applied for political shelter in the USA," one of Elina's colleagues asserts. "She was not chased like the mysterious "Ivanova," although she was threatened, prosecuted and, finally, kidnapped. I have no idea why someone decided to put forward this senseless and absolutely unjustified version. And I find the assertions that she was allegedly kidnapped by Shamil Basaev's allies to be total ramble."
Elina Ersenoyeva was kidnapped on August 17 last year.
The news that a certain Russian lady-journalist is seeking US political asylum was reported on Sunday by the British Sunday Times. According to the medium, the journalist was covering the problems of Chechnya and North Caucasus.
Author: Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent