site.btaNorth Macedonia Foreign Minister: Executive Should Not Interfere in Judicial Decisions on Iva Mihaylova Case

North Macedonia's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timco Mucunski said the executive should not interfere in judicial decisions in the case of Iva Mihaylova. He was speaking at a news conference in Sofia on the sidelines of the International Ministerial Conference on Corridor VIII.

He said two aspects of the case should be distinguished: the judicial proceedings and Mihaylova's health. As an EU candidate country committed to the rule of law and good governance, the Republic of North Macedonia cannot allow the executive to interfere in decisions made by the prosecution and the judiciary, he said.

Iva Mihaylova, a citizen of both North Macedonia and Bulgaria, is on trial for her involvement in a car accident that resulted in one fatality near Kocani on October 7, 2025. She has been charged with a serious road traffic safety offence in North Macedonia. Several people, including Mihaylova, were injured in the accident. Her documents were confiscated, preventing her from receiving treatment in Bulgaria - one of the countries where her spinal injuries could be treated.

Mucunski noted that the decision to ban Mihaylova from leaving the country had been taken by the judiciary and that its lawfulness could only be challenged through judicial procedures.

As for Mihaylova's health, the minister said North Macedonia's healthcare system provides the necessary medical care to every citizen, including Mihaylova.

He said that, as Bulgarian government representatives had raised the issue at previous bilateral meetings, the Republic of North Macedonia had offered to allow Bulgarian medical specialists with the necessary expertise to visit the country and verify that Mihaylova was receiving the treatment she needs.

This is a gesture of goodwill, not an obligation on North Macedonia, Mucunski said. Given the lack of trust between the two governments, he added, it was necessary to start building trust.

He said he could not comment on the judicial proceedings but had no objection to Bulgarian medical representatives reviewing the conditions and verifying that Mihaylova was receiving the necessary medical care.