site.btaParliamentary Committee Condemns Pressure on Bulgarians in North Macedonia

A letter of protest against pressure on the Bulgarian community in the Republic of North Macedonia was adopted by the Committee on Policies for Bulgarians Abroad, committee chair Stoyan Taslakov said on Friday, quoted by Vazrazhdane press service.

The extraordinary session was convened in connection with the case of Ljupcho Georgievski, Chair of the Ivan Mihailov Cultural Centre association. Georgievski went on trial in 2023 following a tipoff from the Commission for Prevention of and Protection against Discrimination, the Left party, and the Union of Fighters in Bitola. He was charged with inciting racial and ethnic hatred and xenophobia after posting Ivan Mihailov quotes on Facebook.

Taslakov has lodged an official protest with the Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia in Sofia, Agneza Rusi-Popovska. He said there is a growing wave of repression against individuals with Bulgarian national identity in North Macedonia, raising serious concern within society and calling into question the protection of democratic principles such as freedom of expression, cultural identity, and the right to a fair trial.

Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were invited to the meeting to present their position on the matter.

The adopted letter expresses deep concern over the escalating repression targeting the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia, calling such actions incompatible with European values and the rule of law. It calls for an immediate end to pressure on persons with Bulgarian self-identification, a fair trial for Georgievski, and strengthened bilateral dialogue to safeguard the rights of Bulgarians in North Macedonia.

The letter was signed by the chair and members of the committee, Vazrazhdane press service added. The parliamentary committee will notify the ambassadors of EU member states, the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the European Court of Human Rights about the case.

Earlier this week, Vazrazhdane called on the Foreign Ministry and the Bulgarian State to take urgent action regarding the case, the former Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Ljubcho Georgievski, appeared before the Basic Court in Bitola as a witness, and the Foreign Ministry has called for the charges to be dropped and pledged continued diplomatic pressure to defend the rights of the Bulgarian community.