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

The court in Kočani, North Macedonia, has once again refused to allow Iva Mihaylova to receive medical treatment in Bulgaria. We are reporting exclusively on BNT on the case of the young woman, who also holds Bulgarian citizenship. Following our reports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a special statement.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs: We Insist That Iva Mihaylova Be Granted Access to Timely and Adequate Medical Care

President Iliana Iotova raised the issue with her counterpart from the Republic of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova. The parliamentary committee for Bulgarians living abroad also held two meetings on the matter.

Bulgarian MPs Hear Mother of Iva Mihaylova from Kočani, Barred from Receiving Medical Treatment in Bulgaria

Iva Mihailova was injured in a road accident on the route between Kočani and Štip at the beginning of October last year. Hours later, the girl's two passports — her Bulgarian passport and her Republic of North Macedonia passport — were confiscated, and she was banned from leaving Kočani.

Iva Mihailova has once again been denied permission to receive treatment in Bulgaria

The young woman has serious injuries to two vertebrae and is suffering complications. She submitted her first request to receive treatment in Bulgaria at the beginning of January. It was rejected on the grounds that she needed to provide additional medical documents. The next two requests submitted by the young woman were also rejected on similar grounds, with authorities asking her in May to provide an opinion from a medical board. She submitted this document as well, stating that she needed to be treated using a method that is not available in hospitals in the Republic of North Macedonia. Today, another decision was issued refusing her request, on the grounds that the medical board had not provided any new information and that, therefore, there was no need to lift the ban preventing her from leaving Kočani.

In response, Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a new statement today, August 7, expressing concern over Iva's inability to receive the necessary treatment for more than six months. It noted that the relevant healthcare institution in Skopje had clearly identified both the seriousness of her diagnosis and the inability to provide her treatment in Bulgaria's south-western neighbouring country.

The ministry insists that Iva must be provided with timely treatment in order to avoid the real risk of permanent disabilities.

In the case of Iva Mihaylova, attention has been drawn to respect for the right to life, the prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment, as well as the provision of effective legal remedies. It was also stated that the European Commission's repeated negative assessments of the state of the judicial system in North Macedonia were not accidental.

It was further emphasised that the rule of law is a key condition for any progress towards European Union membership.

Bulgaria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that protecting the lives and health of Bulgarian citizens abroad is a key priority and that Iva Mihailova has the full support of Bulgarian institutions in her fight for a dignified life.