How do the services in North Macedonia act with Bulgarians!? Dimche Yamandiyev in front of FAKTI

The “Ilinden“ association in North Macedonia, which unites people with a Bulgarian identity, publishes recordings of people from the services in North Macedonia who take certain actions against Bulgarians. The association defines this campaign as cruel and it is directed against different thinking in North Macedonia. On the other side of the coin is the inaction of the Bulgarian institutions. Dimche Yamandiyev, who is part of the “Ilinden“ association, speaks to FAKTI.

- Mr. Yamandiyev, next to you – in the “Ilinden“ association, quite frank, but also very worrying conversations of deputies, police officers and other people from the services about their attitude towards Bulgarians have reached us. What is happening in North Macedonia…
- In recent months, we have witnessed an increased mobilization and campaign against anyone who dares to express a different opinion in North Macedonia. The examples of this are not isolated, and there is no reaction from the Bulgarian state and its official representatives.

- What is heard in these recordings?
- Only a few days ago, recordings of telephone conversations between key figures in North Macedonia appeared, which reveal the worrying coordination of actions. The recordings can be heard as Ratko Todorovski, a well-known political activist, seeks assistance from a deputy from the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party, in order to contact the head of the National Security Agency (b.r. - in North Macedonia the abbreviation is NSA). Later, in a conversation with a high-ranking NSA official named Zhivko, there is a discussion about how to "crush" a certain person from Strumica who talks about historical facts on social networks. It is clear from the recordings that they are trying to avoid excessive violence so that the case of Hristiyan Pendikov, for whom Bulgaria had to send a plane to be treated, does not repeat itself.

- Your name is also mentioned in the conversations that are being discussed…
- Yes, and this is because of the fact that I live in Dupnitsa and am free to speak. It is also worrying that other people - such as Iliya Stoyanovski, also become victims of threats and psychological harassment. We have recordings in which a regional representative directly threatens Stoyanovski with insults and aggression.

- The recordings are now publicly available. What do you mean by this…
- To make it public, to make it known. Against the background of all this, the inaction of Bulgarian politicians, who do not take any action to protect national interests and the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia, is incomprehensible. The recordings clearly show how deputies, heads of services and police chiefs act in sync against anyone who dares to identify as Bulgarian.
It is precisely in this difficult situation that the work of the "Ilinden" Association stands out, which is actively engaged in revealing provocations against the Bulgarian community and presenting historical facts that are often manipulated or ignored. On the association's website (ilindenbg.com) you can find valuable materials and documents that shed light on the true history and show the scale of the repressions against Bulgarians in Macedonia. The work of "Ilinden" is of key importance for preserving the historical truth and cultural memory of the Bulgarians in the region.

- How old are the recordings? When are they from…
- Look, this is not a problem from the past – these recordings were made only a few days ago. If they had not been exported, we would not have known about the scale of this repressive machine. The situation requires an urgent response. To change this vicious pattern, we must begin a cultural and educational process in these lands. Only through unity and education can we save the younger generation from the toxic influence of Serbo-Romani propaganda. Finally, I would like to ask Bulgarian politicians: After hearing these recordings, how will you proceed? Will you continue to be inactive? How long will we allow fear to determine our policies and abandon our compatriots in North Macedonia? I hope the new Bulgarian government will react.