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2 clusters · 18 sources · 1 days · First seen · Last updated

North Macedonia judicial proceedings

Overview

Legal proceedings are underway in North Macedonia involving two separate high-profile criminal cases.

In Kumanovo, the trial of Trajko Bojkovski has progressed with testimony from elderly survivors of attacks in the Stara Nagoricana municipality. Witnesses Rosanka Trajkovska and Sllobodka Arsovska provided accounts of physical assaults and attempted sexual assault or strangulation. While the prosecution asserts that the testimonies align with the indictment for four murders and two attempted murders, the defense has requested psychiatric and psychological expert testimony to evaluate the defendant’s mental state and risk of recidivism.

In Kočani, the trial of Iva Mihailova, a dual Bulgarian-Macedonian citizen, continues regarding a fatal October 2025 car accident. The case has escalated into a significant diplomatic dispute between Sofia and Skopje. Bulgarian officials, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and members of parliament from parties such as GERB and Progressive Bulgaria, have criticized the North Macedonian judiciary after the Basic Court in Kočani and the Appeals Court in Štip denied Mihailova’s request to retrieve her identity documents to seek specialized medical treatment for spinal injuries in Bulgaria. Mihailova has stated her physical condition is “deteriorating daily.”

Bulgarian President Iliana Jotova has indicated she will raise the matter with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Amidst the tension, Mihailova’s father, Simeon Mihaylov, has alleged the prosecution is politically motivated due to her Bulgarian identity. Separately, North Macedonian authorities have issued an international arrest warrant for Simeon Mihaylov, who is accused of attempted murder and organized crime.

Entities

Trajko Bojkovski · Iliana Jotova · Basic Court Kočani · Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs · Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Coverage disagrees

Sources make claims that cannot both be true. CLSTR reports the disagreement; it does not decide who is right.

  • "The Appeals Court in Štip upheld the decision to deny the request for medical treatment abroad." panoptikum.mk · skopje1.mk · libertas.mk · press24.mk · sitel.com.mk · +1 more

    vs

    "The Basic Court in Kočani denied Mihailova's request to return her identity documents for medical treatment in Bulgaria." panoptikum.mk · skopje1.mk · libertas.mk · press24.mk · sitel.com.mk · +1 more

    While one claim states the Basic Court denied the request, the other states the Appeals Court upheld that denial; however, these are not contradictory as they describe different stages of the legal/rע

Timeline

  1. 11 days ago

    [CRIME] 2 sources
    Trajko Bojkovski trial: Elderly survivors testify in Kumanovo

    In a Kumanovo court, elderly survivors testified against Trajko Bojkovski, who is accused of four murders and two attempted murders of women in North Macedonia.

  2. 11 days ago

    [INTERNATIONAL] 16 sources
    Iva Mihailova trial sparks diplomatic tension between Bulgaria and North Macedonia

    The trial of dual citizen Iva Mihailova for a fatal 2025 accident has sparked diplomatic tension between Bulgaria and North Macedonia following court denials of her request for medical treatment in Bulgaria.

Sources

bgvoice.com · breaking.bg · europeanwesternbalkans.com · expres.mk · koha.mk · libertas.mk · panoptikum.mk · petel.bg · press24.mk · ruse.news · safenews.bg · sitel.com.mk · skopje1.mk · tetovasot.com · trafficnews.bg · tribuna.mk · vecer.mk · viaranews.com

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history