Macedonian Minister of Health Sasho Klekovski said the escape of Iva Mihailova to Bulgaria was due to the pending visit of Bulgarian doctors to Macedonia, who, upon checking her claims, would have established that the health aspect in the case was non-existent.
“Her escape was prompted by the arrival of the Bulgarian medical panel. They were supposed to work alongside Macedonian doctors to verify the individual’s claims. I believe the true situation would have come to light then. I am traveling to Sofia and will certainly discuss this with their ministry, because, fundamentally, there is no medical case there,” Klekovski said.
Iva Mihailova is facing court proceedings in Kochani regarding a fatal traffic accident. During the trial, she complained of discrimination based on her dual citizenship, holding both Macedonian and Bulgarian passports, specifically alleging that she was being denied permission to seek medical treatment in neighboring Bulgaria. Her father, Simeon Mihailov, also fled to Bulgaria following a 12.5-year prison sentence handed down in the ‘Detonator’ case. Macedonian authorities have currently issued international arrest warrants for both Iva Mihailova and Simeon Mihailov.