The 'Iva Mihaylova' Case: Sofia and Skopje Ready for a Medical Consultation

The case of Iva Mihaylova is a humanitarian matter and must be resolved as soon as possible to safeguard her health. Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova said this at a press conference following the International Ministerial Conference on Corridor VIII in Sofia, describing North Macedonia’s readiness to hold a medical consultation involving Bulgarian doctors as an important step towards resolving the case.

BNT was the first to raise the issue of the girl with Bulgarian citizenship who was injured in an accident and who, to date, has been unable to leave her hometown for treatment due to a court order.

Velislava Petrova, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “Regarding the case of Iva Mihaylova again – we have still not had an opportunity to speak, as we have not had a direct meeting. This is a humanitarian case, and it is important to emphasise that. We have actively raised the need for the case to be resolved as soon as possible so that Iva’s health can be safeguarded. In this context, the information received through diplomatic channels from North Macedonia about its readiness to hold a medical consultation involving Bulgarian doctors is an important step. I hope this can be implemented very soon.”

North Macedonia is ready to allow Bulgarian medical specialists to assess Iva Mihaylova’s health and treatment, North Macedonian Foreign Minister Timcho Mutsunski also confirmed, stressing that the executive branch cannot interfere in the judicial proceedings against her.

Timcho Mutsunski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia: “When it comes to the case of Iva Mihaylova, there are two aspects that we need to distinguish. The first concerns the judicial proceedings relating to the charges brought against her. I want to emphasise that, as a candidate country for European Union membership, when you have a system based on the rule of law and an established system of good governance, it is not the role of the executive branch to interfere in decisions taken by the judicial authorities. Here I mean the prosecution service and the judiciary in our country. The decision has been taken by the judiciary, and only within the judicial system can anything be done regarding the legality of pre-trial detention while the judicial proceedings continue. The second element you are asking about concerns the health of the accused person – Iva Mihaylova. Our healthcare system provides adequate and modern healthcare to every citizen.”

Photos: BTA

Mutsunski further emphasized that this is a person with dual citizenship – a person who holds both North Macedonian and Bulgarian citizenship – and, like anyone else facing health problems, is entitled to healthcare, including in this particular case.

“As this issue was raised at previous bilateral meetings by representatives of the Bulgarian government with representatives of the North Macedonian government, North Macedonia has offered for representatives of your country’s health authorities – medical specialists with the necessary expertise on this particular matter – to visit our country and, in good faith, ascertain that the accused person is receiving adequate medical treatment.”

Photo: BNT

Timcho Mutsunski, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia: “We regard this as an act of goodwill. This is not an obligation on our part, but I have to speak very openly and directly. Because of the lack of trust that exists between the governments, we need to start building trust somewhere. That is why I cannot comment on the judicial proceedings. As I said, we must allow the rule-of-law system to function, but we have no objection to showing the medical representatives from Bulgaria that the accused person has been provided with adequate medical treatment.”