Iva Mihaylova sought transportation from Kocani to Sofia through ride-sharing groups on Facebook, claims North Macedonian media outlet “Channel 77“. The information is based on an anonymous source's account and has not yet been independently confirmed.
According to the publication from October 13, Mihaylova wrote to participants in ride-sharing groups four days before it became public knowledge that she was in Sofia. One of the people recognized her and refused to give her a ride. However, he did not know whether she was looking for a place for herself or for someone else.
Additional details were published by “Sloboden Pechat“. According to the publication, on October 10, Mihaylova was filmed by security cameras in a cafe in Kochani. The next day, her Bulgarian lawyer Nikolay Dimitrov arrived in the city. The media claims that when he left North Macedonia, there was another man in his car, but Mihaylova was not among the passengers.
Two opposing versions about the border
On October 12, Mihaylova appeared in front of the “Pirogov“ hospital in Sofia together with her lawyer. The two told Bulgarian media that they crossed the border in accordance with the established procedure and presented their documents to border guards.
“We crossed the border in accordance with the established procedure“, said lawyer Nikolay Dimitrov.Mihaylova said that she entered Bulgaria with her North Macedonian ID card. She explained her arrival by the need for medical care due to spinal injuries sustained in the accident in 2025.
This version is at odds with the data released by the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia. According to the department, there is no record of Mihaylova leaving the country in October in the border control system. Skopje also announced that no confirmation of the woman's legal entry into Bulgaria was received through the joint contact center with Bulgaria.
According to data cited by the North Macedonian authorities, Mihaylova's last registered trip to Bulgaria was from September 2025, and her return to North Macedonia was reported in October of the same year. Thus, the way she reached Sofia remains unclear.
The accident case and the international search
Mihaylova is a defendant in a case for a serious accident that occurred on October 7, 2025 on the road between Kochani and Shtip. A man died in the accident, and there were also injuries. According to the prosecution, she was driving a “Volkswagen Polo“ with Bulgarian registration at a speed of 86 km/h in a 60 km/h limit and entered the oncoming lane. Mihaylova and her defense dispute her guilt, and there is no final verdict.
On October 9, 2025, the court confiscated her Bulgarian and North Macedonian passports. She was also banned from leaving Kochani, banned from crossing the border with an ID card and required to report regularly to the competent authorities.
After her appearance in Sofia, the Kochani court ordered a 30-day detention, and the North Macedonian authorities took action to search for her internationally. On October 13, the court issued an arrest warrant for her.
Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior announced that it had not taken any action to establish her whereabouts in the country. The department specified: „At the moment, there is no Interpol red notice issued for Mihaylova.“ The Bulgarian authorities also indicated that at this time there has been no decision on her detention or her possible extradition to North Macedonia.
The case also led to diplomatic tension. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia summoned the Bulgarian Ambassador to Skopje, Zhelyazko Radukov, and stated that nationality and dual citizenship should not lead to different treatment before the law.
Sources: darik.bg