Bulgaria pledges support for Iva Mihaylova medical case

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova met with Hristina Mihaylova, the mother of 23-year-old Iva Mihaylova, to express government support regarding her daughter's ongoing legal and medical crisis in North Macedonia.

Iva Mihaylova has been restricted from leaving the city of Kochani, North Macedonia, following charges related to a serious traffic accident. Despite medical recommendations for urgent surgical intervention in Bulgaria, local courts have repeatedly denied her requests for temporary leave to receive treatment. Family members warn that the lack of adequate medical care poses a risk of permanent disability.

The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated it is working in coordination with the Ministry of Health to ensure legal protection and is applying diplomatic pressure to resolve the humanitarian issue. Recently, Bulgarian Members of Parliament attended a court hearing in Kochani to monitor the proceedings, and citizens held a demonstration in support of Mihaylova at the North Macedonian embassy in Sofia.