Bulgarian MEPs Urge EU to Intervene Over Medical Treatment Case Involving Dual National in North Macedonia - Iva Mihaylova

Bulgarian members of the European Parliament issued an urgent joint appeal to the leadership of the European Union, highlighting the alarming violations of human rights and the rule of law in the case of Iva Mihaylova, a 22-year-old citizen with dual Bulgarian and Macedonian citizenship. The authorities in North Macedonia are currently preventing her from traveling abroad for urgent medical treatment.

• Even After Medical Assesment: Iva Mihaylova Was Once Again Refused Permission to Receive Treatment in Bulgaria

“Ms Mihaylova sustained serious spinal injuries in a road traffic accident in October 2025. In July 2026, an official medical panel at the University Clinical Centre in Skopje confirmed that the required procedure is not available in North Macedonia and that she needs treatment abroad. Nevertheless, on 7 August 2026, the Basic Court in Kočani rejected her request for the temporary release of her confiscated passport, arbitrarily raising the evidentiary threshold after previously requesting the specific medical opinion,” the Bulgarian MEPs said in their statement.

The Bulgarian delegation stressed that, although the case is primarily an urgent humanitarian emergency carrying a real risk of permanent neurological damage, it also reflects deep systemic problems within North Macedonia’s justice system. The letter points to troubling procedural irregularities — including the prosecution of the sole eyewitness after he gave evidence in Ms Mihaylova’s favour — and raises serious questions about the treatment of people with a Bulgarian identity in an EU candidate country.

The letter was signed by all Bulgarian members of the European Parliament and addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement Gert Jan Koopman, EU Ambassador to North Macedonia Michalis Rokas, the President of the European Court of Human Rights, and the ambassadors of EU member states to the EU (Coreper II).

In their message to EU institutions, the Bulgarian MEPs called for immediate action to:

• Intervene with the authorities in North Macedonia to secure temporary permission for her to travel abroad for medical treatment, subject to appropriate safeguards;
• Closely monitor the ongoing judicial proceedings, the rights of the defence and allegations of witness intimidation;
• Seek an official explanation from Skopje regarding the local court’s arbitrary change to the evidentiary standards;
• Take these alleged violations into account as part of the European Commission’s monitoring of judicial independence and the rule of law in North Macedonia’s progress towards EU accession;
• Seek assurances that Ms Mihaylova’s Bulgarian identity and citizenship have not played any role in the way she has been treated by the court.

The MEPs stressed that respect for the independence of the judiciary cannot justify institutional silence when an EU citizen faces irreversible physical harm and violations of fundamental rights.