Bulgaria considers the case against Ljupcho Georgievski, former chairman of the now-dissolved cultural club "Vanche Mihailov" in Bitola, to be a politically motivated process. This was stated by Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev during a meeting with Georgievski on June 17. The Bulgarian top diplomat further emphasised that the right to self-identification is a fundamental principle of the European Union and should not be called into question.
Ljupcho Georgievski, chairman of the dissolved cultural club "Ivan Mihailov" in Bitola:
"I do not take the verdict very tragically. Nowadays, being convicted for the work you do in Macedonia is not a shame—it is an honour for me. Years ago, we were searching for ways to prove our Bulgarian origin. Now, I have official documentation of my Bulgarian heritage. In this way, I leave something behind for my grandchildren to be proud of. It is an honour for me to be tried as a Bulgarian who defends Bulgarian identity in Macedonia—and above all, as a Vanche-Mihailovist."
Georg Georgiev, Minister of Foreign Affairs:
“Bulgaria stands behind you with the full strength of its government, its institutions, and its representation in the Republic of North Macedonia—we stand behind you. Because we deeply do not believe in the motives announced against you or the grounds of your trial. We consider politically motivated processes—those that use state institutions and courts to repress individuals who self-identify as Bulgarians, who uphold their Bulgarian identity, who preserve their Bulgarian roots, and who refuse to deny who they are, what they are, and where they come from—as completely unacceptable in a country that claims to be European.”
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A court in Bitola on June 12 handed a one-year suspended sentence with a two-year probation period to Ljupcho Georgievski, former chair of the now-dissolved Ivan Mihaylov Cultural Club.
Georgievski was convicted of inciting xenophobia, racism, and ethnic hatred through electronic means after publishing quotes by the controversial historical figure Ivan Mihaylov on the club’s Facebook page.
The verdict, issued by the Basic Court in Bitola, was received electronically on Wednesday and spans 22 pages, Georgievski’s lawyer, Naser Raufi, said. The defence has eight days to file an appeal before the Bitola Court of Appeals.
Speaking on BNT's programme "The Day Begins" on June 13, he described his sentence as a political message from the Macedonian state to all those who identify themselves as Bulgarians.
“I see the sentence as a sign of the work we’ve been doing for years — a recognition of everything we’ve done to affirm Bulgarian identity in Macedonia. This verdict carries no legal weight for me; it holds symbolic significance. It is a political message, directed not just at me, but at all Bulgarians and at anyone who publicly identifies as Bulgarian.
I have not incited violence, nor have I insulted anyone’s dignity. My only ‘offense’ is that I openly identify as Bulgarian and honor the memory and legacy of a great Bulgarian — Ivan Mihaylov.”
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