We have a warrant for that person and I expect our partners to act in line with the partnership, said Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski on Wednesday, answering a reporter’s question about the case of Simeon Mihailov, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison in Macedonia, but fled before serving his sentence, and is now appearing on Bulgarian television and at protests in Sofia, from where he is defending his daughter Iva Mihailova, who is on trial in Kochani for a traffic accident that killed one person.
“We are partners with our eastern neighbor within NATO. We expect the people who are wanted on a warrant, who have committed some crime, to extradite them, in the spirit of partnership, so that they can face the law and justice,” Mickoski said.
Sofia has been dramatizing the case of Iva Mihailova, who has Macedonian and Bulgarian citizenship, in the context that Macedonia does not allow her to receive treatment in Bulgaria. Two Macedonian courts have decided not to return Mihailova’s confiscated passport, because the health services she needs are also available in Macedonia. The trial against her is ongoing, and the hearing three days ago was attended by six members of the Bulgarian parliament.
The Macedonian Ministry of Interior has recently confirmed that the international arrest warrant for Simeon Mihailov is still active.
Mihailov is part of the “Detonator” case and was convicted of acts related to attempted murder, criminal association and violence. He was initially sentenced to life imprisonment, which was reduced in the subsequent court proceedings.
During the proceedings, he fled Macedonia, and in 2014 he was extradited from Italy, where he was arrested on an international arrest warrant. Later, he fled again and is now reporting from Bulgaria.
