Iva Mihajlova case takes diplomatic turn as prosecutors seek detention

The case of Iva Mihajlova has escalated beyond the courtroom into diplomatic and prosecutorial arenas as of October 13, 2026. North Macedonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade summoned Bulgaria's ambassador in Skopje, Zhelyazko Radukov, while the Basic Public Prosecution Office in Kocani has asked the Basic Court to order pretrial detention for Mihajlova. Opposition parties are demanding investigations, resignations and an urgent extradition procedure.

Diplomatic protest and a warning to Sofia

At the meeting with Ambassador Zhelyazko Radukov, ministry officials conveyed that the manner in which Mihajlova was received in Sofia, including announcements of a possible high-level reception, was seen as a provocation and undermined efforts to build trust and develop good-neighbourly relations. Officials also warned that such conduct amounted to an intrusion into the country’s legal system and sent a seriously wrong message about respect for judicial proceedings and the principle of equality before the law.

Ministry representatives said: "Nationality or holding another citizenship must not be used as a basis for protection from responsibility before competent institutions." They also told the ambassador that North Macedonia expects an approach from Bulgaria consistent with core European principles, including respect for judicial procedures, institutional cooperation and the rule of law, and that the ministry will inform international bodies, particularly European Union institutions and the Council of Europe.

At the same time, prosecutors in Kocani filed a motion with the Basic Court proposing pretrial detention for Mihajlova after police reported she failed to meet her obligation to report regularly and could not be found at her registered address. The request follows confirmation that the accused in the traffic crash case that left victims dead is in Bulgaria despite having had both her Macedonian and Bulgarian passports confiscated and an active court ban on leaving the country.

The Ministry of Interior has stated that she left North Macedonia illegally and entered Bulgaria unlawfully. "Through the joint contact center with the Republic of Bulgaria, checks were carried out and from the Bulgarian border police information was received that there is no recorded legal entry of the said person into the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria," the police announced. Bulgarian media, meanwhile, report that Mihajlova is in Sofia.

Opposition parties say the incident shifts public debate from the courtroom to the institutions responsible for security and border control. SDSM has called for immediate answers and accountability, linking the case to recent meetings that Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski held in Sofia. At a press conference Keti Shterjova said: "She herself says that she crossed the border legally, with an ID card, and that the border officials knew. The Interior Ministry says there is no recorded exit. Citizens are not naive, they see and know everything. This was arranged." SDSM demanded the resignation of Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski and urged authorities to initiate extradition proceedings without delay.

The Liberal Democratic Party described the developments as evidence of deep institutional weaknesses and criticized the public treatment of Mihajlova, arguing that the attention and victim narrative are disproportionate to the gravity of the case and erode public trust in institutions and the rule of law.

Photo: press material from the event