North Macedonia denies entry to Bulgarian MP for Iva Mihaylova’s court hearing

Angel Georgiev, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Policies for Bulgarians Abroad, was denied entry into North Macedonia, the MP wrote on Facebook. He was travelling to Kočani to attend the court hearing of Iva Mihaylova, who also has Bulgarian citizenship, BTA reports. Mihaylova faces charges in North Macedonia over a serious road accident.

The accident, in which several people, including Mihaylova herself, were injured, occurred in early October 2025. Her documents were confiscated following the crash, preventing her from undergoing medical treatment in Bulgaria - one of the few places where such treatment is possible given the specific nature of her spinal injuries.

"The state has been holding me hostage for nearly a year, violating my human rights for absolutely no reason, as I am not at fault for the accident. I need medical treatment that I am not being allowed to receive," Mihaylova told Bulgarian media, as cited by bTV. MP Angel Georgiev noted that while he had previously attended two hearings in Kočani, he was denied entry this time on a trumped-up pretext. He stated that he would call upon the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to raise the matter urgently with European institutions and to lodge a formal protest with the North Macedonian authorities.

Editor: Ivo Ivanov