English
Iva Mihajlova, the fugitive who caused a political incident between Macedonia and Bulgaria, was secretly recording as she details the pressure she is facing from Bulgarian security services. Journalist Stanislav Canov published a video in which he played audio recordings and showed screenshots of correspondence with her. Mihajlova does not appear in the video, and Canov claims that the recordings are from conversations they had earlier. Their authenticity and origin have not been independently confirmed.
In the audio recordings, Mihajlova is trying to get out of an agreed interview with Canov by explaining to him that representatives of the Bulgarian DANS security service pressured her to give her first interview to a different journalist – Martin Karbovski. She says that DANS threatened her that she could be left without the promised rehabilitation treatment and other support – Mihajlova fled Macedonia for Bulgaria after causing a fatality in a traffic accident in which she sustained injuries she claimed can only be treated in Bulgaria. She describes that she is under severe psychological pressure after escaping to Bulgaria, to be used for propaganda purposes. Canov additionally claims that he was prevented from publishing material with her and that unrelated videos he made were also removed.
After the publication of the recordings, calls are rising in Bulgaria for the resignation of the head of DANS, Plamen Toncev, and reforms in the politicized agency
After the audio was published, Mihajlova posted a social media comment saying that she had received help, care and support in Bulgaria, that she does not want to be part of political disputes and that she will no longer comment on this matter. She called on everyone to allow her to be treated in peace.
DANS likewise rejected the accusations. In a statement to the media, the agency states that its officers exerted no influence whatsoever on Mihailova and that the recordings are of unconfirmed origin, while the credibility of the claims made has not been proven.