English
Iva Mihajlova, a woman from Kocani with a dual Macedonian – Bulgarian citizenship, who is charged with causing a fatal car crash, fled to Bulgaria today. Mihajlova was at the center of a Bulgarian propaganda campaign, in which Sofia was insisting that she is discriminated because she received a Bulgarian citizenship based on her declared ethnicity, and her issue was raised at a high level and was used by Bulgaria to justify its blockade of Macedonia’s EU accession.
The Ministry of the Interior informed today that it has conducted checks within the border control system, revealing that there is no record of Iva Mihajlova — who is subject to an active court-ordered ban to exit the territory of Macedonia, has crossed the border. Additionally, checks were carried out by the Bulgarian Border Police via the Joint Contact Center with the Republic of Bulgaria; information received from them indicates that there is no record of the woman legally entering the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Ministry added. This leaves the issue of how she crossed the border open – Mihajlova’s lawyer informed that he helped her cross through a legal border crossing.
Bulgarian politicians fawned today over the woman, whose father is also a fugitive from justice from Macedonia in Bulgaria – as he is sentenced for racketeering and attempted murder. Acting Bulgarian President Iliyana Yotova expressed readiness to meet with Mihajlova – Bulgarian politicians have frequently met with dual citizens from Macedonia who claimed persecution or attack, have provided them with housing and other perks. Mihajlova claimed that she suffered injuries in the accident that happened a year ago and that she can not be properly treated in Macedonia – even after the Macedonian Government offered to have Bulgarian doctors examine and treat her. The accident killed a passenger in the vehicle Mihajlova collided with – she claims that an improperly parked police vehicle caused the collision, and that the passenger was killed by loose construction materials in the vehicle she hit.
The Macedonian Foreign Ministry condemned the move by Bulgarian politicians to roll out the red carpet for Mihajlova, reminding them that she is a fugitive.
Granting a high-level reception to an individual facing legal proceedings sends a seriously wrong message. Nationality and the possession of dual citizenship must not serve as a shield against accountability before competent institutions. Everyone has the right to a fair trial. No one has the right to be exempt from the law. We expect the Republic of Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union, to act in accordance with fundamental European principles: respect for judicial proceedings, cooperation between competent institutions, and equality before the law. Actions that create the impression of institutional protection against legal accountability are incompatible with these principles. The rule of law must not be selective, nor should it depend on an individual’s nationality. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade will keep international partners—particularly the institutions of the European Union and the Council of Europe—informed about the developments in this case. Such actions, for which there are precedents, directly undermine trust between the two states and raise serious questions regarding the consistent observance of shared European values, the Foreign Ministry informed.