Klekovski: Mihajlova has no health problems, her departure is linked to the arrival of the Bulgarian medical panel

Health Minister Sasho Klekovski said today that Iva Mihajlova had left for neighboring Bulgaria because of the arrival of the Bulgarian medical panel in North Macedonia. According to him, after Bulgarian specialists verified her claims, it would become clear that there was no medical problem.

“The reason for her departure is the arrival of the Bulgarian medical panel here. It was supposed to examine her claims together with Macedonian doctors. I believe that in that case, the real situation would have become clear. I am traveling to Sofia and, naturally, I will discuss this matter with their ministry, because essentially there is no medical case,” Klekovski said.

Meanwhile, legal proceedings against Iva Mihajlova are under way in North Macedonia at the Kočani Basic Court in connection with a traffic accident that had fatal consequences.

During the court hearings, Mihajlova complained of discrimination because of her dual Macedonian and Bulgarian citizenship, claiming that she was not allowed to receive treatment in neighboring Bulgaria. Her father, Simeon Mihajlov, also left for Bulgaria after being sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in the Detonator case. The authorities of North Macedonia have since issued international arrest warrants for Iva Mihajlova and Simeon Mihajlov.

During his latest visit to Sofia, Foreign Minister Timč Mucunski said that North Macedonia was ready to allow Bulgarian medical specialists to visit Iva Mihajlova and obtain information about her health condition and the treatment she was receiving.

Mucunski explained that the matter involved two separate elements: the court proceedings, in which the executive branch had no right to intervene, and Mihajlova’s health condition, regarding which, he said, the North Macedonian authorities had expressed their willingness to cooperate.