Macedonia expects Bulgaria, as a NATO and European Union member state—to extradite individuals wanted under arrest warrants so they may face justice, Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski said Tuesday evening. He was addressing the case of the accused Iva Mihailova, for whom an international arrest warrant was issued today after she recently fled to Bulgaria.
“I believe the Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicated quite precisely on this matter. They stated that she had effectively fled Macedonia, and an international arrest warrant was issued today. They were quite clear that this constitutes a classic case of evading justice. We expect Bulgaria, as a NATO and EU member state and a developed democracy that upholds the rule of law, to extradite individuals wanted under arrest warrants so they can face justice,” Nikoloski said during an interview with Alfa TV.
Regarding reactions in Bulgaria and announcements of high-level meetings with Mihailova, Nikoloski emphasized that the state should not succumb to provocations.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already stated its position, and I have nothing further to add. This is not the first time; there have been similar cases in the past. I believe we need to be smart and not fall for provocations. There are institutions in Europe that determine whether human rights have been violated or not. First, there are domestic institutions: the Commission for Protection against Discrimination, the courts, and other bodies. If they do not trust them, there is the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. As far as I know, that person has not even filed an application there, let alone obtained a ruling from the court. If a judgment is issued by a relevant European institution like the one in Strasbourg, we will respect it. However, in the absence of any evidence or facts, it is clear that this is merely a case of political exploitation,” said the Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister.