BNT Exclusive: Iva Mihaylova: When I identified myself as Bulgarian, that's when the harassment began

Iva Mihaylova has requested to take part remotely, via video link, in today's hearing in the trial against her in Kocani, North Macedonia. Two expert reports were expected to be examined.

The case was first brought to public attention by Bulgarian National Television (BNT) in May. Our reports prompted reactions from the President, the government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while MPs from all parliamentary groups began to personally monitor the proceedings in Kocani.

Iva Mihaylova gave an interview to BNT's Ivo Nikodimov.

Iva Mihaylova Will Be Tried in Absentia in North Macedonia

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– Let's start here. What have the doctors said? What treatment do you need, and how long will your recovery take?

Iva Mihaylova: Hello, Ivo! Thank you for inviting me. I'm glad we're here. My treatment began three or four weeks ago, when I returned to Bulgaria. I've also started rehabilitation, which is still in its early stages. So, at this point, we cannot say how long it will take.

- Have there been any complications as a result of the fact that you went a year without receiving the treatment and rehabilitation you needed? Do you have any limitations? Are there things you can no longer do?

Iva Mihaylova: Unfortunately, I have lasting effects that affect my everyday life, and the doctors here and I are currently trying to address them. This is precisely because I was denied rehabilitation for months in Kocani.

- You mentioned a moment ago that you can’t sit the way you’re used to.

Iva Mihaylova: I forget. By the way, I really wanted to cross my legs, but I don’t feel comfortable doing so because of my spine, which is why I’m sitting like this.

- And have you been told not to cross your legs?

Iva Mihaylova: Yes.

- So you can no longer sit in what is traditionally a favourite position for women – crossing their legs and so on. Do you miss that?

Iva Mihaylova: Yes, unfortunately.

- What is the prognosis, though? Will you make a full recovery, or will the effects of this injury remain?

Iva Mihaylova: There are already lasting effects, and they will remain. I was even told that surgery would not be able to reverse the numbness in my limbs or some of the other symptoms. If the doctors here cannot help me, they will refer me to Israel.

- So there is a possibility that you may need treatment not only in Bulgaria, but also in Israel. Is that right?

Iva Mihaylova: Yes.

- Over the past two months, while we have been attending the hearings in Kochani, you have repeatedly told us that the police there were constantly checking on you, and that a drone was flying over your house to see whether you were there. Looking back now, with the benefit of hindsight, how often did this happen? At the time, you were understandably in a different emotional state.

Iva Mihaylova: Yes. As far as I can remember, over the last few months – the last three or four months – I was under constant surveillance, every day, by every means possible. As I have said, police officers were constantly outside my home, there were searches at my house, and drones were flying overhead. Whenever I went out, there was always someone following me. Whether they were from the police or the security services made no difference. There was always someone there.

- All right, but what reasons did they give for coming to your home, carrying out checks and searches, and so on? What justification did they provide? You were not subject to pre-trial detention. Nor were you under house arrest. You were simply prohibited from leaving Kocani and required to report to the authorities every week.

Iva Mihaylova: Looking back now, I see it as psychological harassment on their part, an attempt to break me in some way. When I returned and reflected on everything they had done, I could not understand why they had acted that way. They repeatedly entered my home unlawfully. We filed a complaint with the Internal Control Department to find out why and on what grounds, but we never received a response. Three months have now passed, and we are still waiting.

- When do you think this constant surveillance began? When did they start monitoring you so closely? You did not have this problem at the beginning of May, when we visited you.

Iva Mihaylova: When I identified myself as Bulgarian, that’s when all the harassment on their part began.

- How did you eventually manage to leave Kocani? Had you already noticed that you were being constantly watched, or did someone who wanted to help you suggest that you could leave? How did you make that decision?

Iva Mihaylova: With our desire for freedom, for medical treatment, and to be at home, we achieved what we wanted.

- Is anyone from the Republic of North Macedonia trying to contact you now? Do they write to you? Do you receive messages from them?

Iva Mihaylova: Not at the moment. I’m not receiving any.

- What about on social media—messages on Facebook?

Iva: There, yes, from all sorts of people, but...

- What do they write to you?

Iva Mihaylova: Not nice things, by the way. Because for 20 days, the Macedonian media have been whipping up such a frenzy among both the Macedonian and Albanian people against me and against Bulgaria. I suppose you’ve all noticed. So many lies have been written, and lies have been spoken by such high-ranking officials, that this goes way beyond any limits.

- Is the next hearing in the case at the court in Kočani on Monday? And how will you participate in it? Or are you relying entirely on the lawyers there?

Iva Mihaylova: No. My lawyer has submitted a request for me to be allowed to participate online from here. So we are waiting to see whether the prosecution and the court will approve our request for me to join remotely.

- Two expert reports are due to be considered at Monday's hearing. They were commissioned by your lawyers in North Macedonia, rather than prepared by experts appointed by the prosecution in Kocani. What do these two reports show?

Iva Mihaylova: You are familiar with them in detail, because they were submitted as evidence in the case several months ago, right at the beginning. Yes, I have read both reports more than a hundred times by now. They both demonstrate my innocence and show traces of the other car in my lane. Everything is very clear. So I hope that, in the end, the truth will prevail.

- Thank you.

Iva Mihaylova: Me too.