Kočani prosecutor demands public apology from Iva Mihailova

The Public Prosecutor's Office in Kočani, represented by attorney Aljosha Katsarov acting on behalf of prosecutor Igorcho Krstov, has asked Iva Mihailova to issue a public apology and to withdraw statements she made in a podcast by Bulgarian journalist Martin Karbovski published on 7 November.

What the office says

In a formal notice, the prosecutor's representative said Mihailova made untrue allegations that damaged Krstov's personal and professional reputation. The complaint singles out two claims: that Krstov allegedly addressed her with a discriminatory message because of her Bulgarian national sentiment, and that money was requested through an intermediary to secure a suspended sentence.

Kratov, through his legal proxy, described the allegations as defamatory and demanded that Mihailova publicly retract them on the same platform or another appropriate channel.

Mihailova is currently the defendant in court proceedings for a serious traffic accident with fatal consequences that occurred on the Kočani–Shtip road. She is at present in Bulgaria, and the trial is continuing in her absence.

The prosecutor's request frames the move as protection of his reputation; it does not, however, indicate whether further legal steps are planned beyond the demand for a public retraction and apology.

Photo: press material from the event