Toshkovski: Mihailova not in border records for 2026, services investigating case

Interior Minister Pançe Toshkovski stated that the investigation will reveal how Iva Mihajlova fled, but stressed that she was not recorded in the border control systems between Macedonia and Bulgaria during 2026.

According to him, Bulgarian authorities have shared data with the Macedonian side on the last time Mihailova left the territory of both countries, which happened the previous year.

Toshkovski clarified that she left the country illegally and also entered the eastern neighboring country without proper documentation.

He stressed the need for the victim’s family to receive justice through legal procedures, adding that the right to life and accountability before the law must apply equally to all citizens.

“The question that arises is whether we are dealing with a system that allows someone who should be held accountable for the events to disappear from public view, leave the country and find protection in another state, in this case a European Union member state,” Toshkovski said in the interview for “Sitel”.

“This is not about a border guarded only by the police of North Macedonia. If it is said that our police have shortcomings, then what should we say about the Bulgarian police? It protects the EU border and an individual who exits illegally cannot enter Bulgaria legally. There are quite a few cases of persons convicted by court decisions who have fled to Bulgaria. Then the question arises whether Bulgaria serves as a haven for convicted criminals or for individuals seeking to escape accountability in processes aimed at establishing justice,” the minister concluded./Telegrafi/