Prosecutor's Office in Kočani Seeks Iva Mihaylova’s Detention

Prosecutor's Office in Kočani, North Macedonia requested the detention of Iva Mihaylova after she failed to report to the local police station to sign in yesterday, October 12. Skopje has summoned the Bulgarian ambassador. Speaking to the media in North Macedonia, Zhelyazko Radukov said the case was humanitarian and should not be turned into a political issue. Could the court-imposed measure against Iva Mihaylova be changed?

The police informed the court that Iva Mihaylova had failed to report to the police station in Kočani yesterday to sign in, as required under the current measure imposed on her. She was also not found at the address where she had declared she was staying. On these grounds, the prosecution requested that she be remanded in custody until the criminal proceedings against her are concluded, citing a risk that she might abscond. The court has yet to rule on the request.

• Reactions from Bulgarian Authorities Following the Surprise Arrival of Iva Mihaylova in Bulgaria (OVERVIEW)

Iva Mihaylova has also been placed on a wanted list in the Republic of North Macedonia. The Foreign Ministry in Skopje summoned the Bulgarian ambassador over the case.

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) reported that Zhelyazko Radukov had been told that Mihaylova's reception in Sofia, including reports that she had received a high-level welcome, was a provocation that undermined efforts to build trust and good-neighbourly relations.

Speaking to the media in Skopje, Radukov said the Mihaylova case was a humanitarian matter and should not have been turned into a political one. He also clarified that nobody had formally welcomed Iva Mihaylova in Sofia or met with her.

He added that it was natural for Bulgaria’s President, as a woman and a mother, to be concerned about such a humanitarian case.

Speaking outside the Foreign Ministry in Skopje, Radukov said Iva Mihaylova’s arrival in Sofia had come as a surprise to the Bulgarian authorities and that her actions were not welcomed. However, he said it was understandable that, in a state of despair, she had decided to come to Bulgaria.