Bulgarian MEPs have issued an urgent joint appeal to the leadership of the European Union, highlighting what they describe as alarming violations of human rights and the rule of law in the case of 22-year-old Iva Mihailova, who holds dual Bulgarian and Macedonian citizenship. Authorities in North Macedonia are currently preventing her from travelling abroad to receive urgent medical treatment. This is contained in a joint letter signed by Bulgarian MEPs, as announced by MEPs Andrey Kovatchev and Ivaylo Valchev.
The letter states that the young woman suffered severe spinal injuries in a road traffic accident in October 2025. In July 2026, an official medical panel at the University Clinical Center in Skopje confirmed that the necessary procedure is not available in North Macedonia and that she requires treatment abroad, the MEPs recall. Nevertheless, on August 7, 2026, the Basic Court in Kocani rejected her request for the temporary release of her confiscated passport, allegedly arbitrarily raising the evidentiary threshold after having previously requested the specific medical opinion, the letter further states.
The Bulgarian delegation stresses that, while the case is primarily an urgent humanitarian emergency involving a real risk of permanent neurological damage, it also reflects what they describe as deep-rooted systemic problems within North Macedonia’s judicial system. The letter points to troubling procedural irregularities, including the prosecution of the only direct eyewitness after he gave testimony in Mihailova’s favor. According to the MEPs, the case raises serious questions about the treatment of people with a Bulgarian identity in an EU candidate country.
Bulgarian MEPs are calling for immediate action to intervene with the authorities of the Republic of North Macedonia to secure temporary permission for medical travel abroad, subject to appropriate safeguards. They also call for close monitoring of the ongoing judicial proceedings, the rights of the defense, and allegations of witness intimidation.
The letter also requests an official explanation from Skopje regarding what the MEPs describe as the local court’s arbitrary change in evidentiary standards. The Bulgarian MEPs call for these alleged violations to be reflected in the European Commission’s monitoring of the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law as part of North Macedonia’s progress toward EU accession.
The MEPs are also seeking assurances that Iva Mihailova’s Bulgarian identity and citizenship played no role in the way she was treated by the court, the letter states.
The MEPs stress that respect for the independence of the judiciary cannot justify institutional silence when an EU citizen faces irreversible physical harm and violations of fundamental rights.
The letter was signed by all Bulgarian MEPs and addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas, Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement Gert-Jan Koopman, EU Ambassador to North Macedonia Michalis Rokas, President of the European Court of Human Rights Mattias Guyomar, and the ambassadors of the EU member states to the EU (COREPER II).
A few days ago, President Iliana Iotova said that she would raise the issue of Iva Mihailova’s medical treatment again with the government of North Macedonia and President Gordana Siljanovska.