“Yes, Bulgaria” will turn to Brussels over the case involving SANS and Iva Mihaylova, the party’s co-chair Ivaylo Mirchev said on the Bulgarian National Radio programme “Nedelya 150”. According to him, the ruling parties will probably block attempts to hold parliamentary hearings, as has happened before.
The case was raised after a video by YouTuber Stanislav Tsanov, which featured an audio recording of Iva Mihaylova. According to Mirchev’s account, the recording contains claims that SANS officers first directed her to an interview with Martin Karbovski. Otherwise, according to these claims, the possibility of providing her with rehabilitation could have been jeopardised.
Mihaylova is a Bulgarian citizen from North Macedonia. She sought treatment and rehabilitation after being charged in a case in North Macedonia over a road traffic accident.
“We have no other option but to reach Brussels,” Mirchev said. He also stated that “Yes, Bulgaria” had repeatedly called for the resignation of SANS Chairman Plamen Tonchev. According to Mirchev, there had been extensive interaction with SANS over the case, but the extent to which it had been documented remains to be established.
SANS denies exerting pressure
The State Agency for National Security denied that its employees had exerted any influence whatsoever on Mihaylova. In its statement, the agency described the recording as material of unverified origin and said that the credibility of the claims had not been established.
Iva Mihaylova also rejected the claims of coercion. In a statement, she said: “No one in Bulgaria forced me to do anything.” Mihaylova said she had received help and support, did not want to be part of political disputes and wanted to focus on her recovery.
Thus, the case involves mutually exclusive positions: Mirchev is calling for SANS’s role to be clarified and announcing plans for action at the European level, while the agency and Mihaylova deny that any pressure was exerted.