Iva Mikhailova said that she is suffering lasting consequences that make her everyday life more difficult after she failed to receive the necessary rehabilitation in Kočani for months. She gave an interview to BNT ahead of another hearing in the case against her in North Macedonia.
“Unfortunately, I have lasting consequences that interfere with my daily life, and at the moment we are trying to resolve them with the doctors here,” Mikhailova said.
Her treatment in Bulgaria began three to four weeks before the interview, while rehabilitation started recently. According to her, doctors still cannot say how long the recovery will take. She explained that because of problems with her spine, she does not feel comfortable sitting cross-legged.
Mikhailova also said that doctors had warned her that numbness in her limbs and other consequences could remain even after medical intervention. If treatment in Bulgaria does not produce results, she may be sent to Israel.
Claims of surveillance and searches
In the interview, Mikhailova claimed that she had been monitored daily in Kočani over the past three to four months. According to her, there was constantly a police presence outside her home, searches were carried out, and a drone flew over the house. She said that whenever she went outside, she noticed someone following her.
“When I identified myself as Bulgarian, that was when all the harassment from them began,” Mikhailova said. She claimed that a complaint filed with internal oversight regarding the authorities’ actions had not received a response for three months.
Mikhailova also said that she had received negative messages on social media. According to her, reports in Macedonian and Albanian media had turned the public against her and against Bulgaria. These are her claims, which were not confirmed in the interview by an independent source.
The case in Kočani
Mikhailova is a defendant in a case concerning a serious road accident in North Macedonia, in which one person died and several others were injured. Her guilt has not been established by a final court judgment.
She has requested to participate via videoconference in the hearing scheduled for November 9. Two expert reports submitted by the defense are expected to be examined. According to Mikhailova, the conclusions indicate that the other vehicle entered her lane and support the claim that she is innocent.
BNT reports that her lawyer has filed a request for remote participation and that the prosecution and the court are yet to rule on it. According to bTV, the court has already ordered that the proceedings continue in absentia. The hearing is expected to clarify how the request for online participation will be considered and what weight will be given to the defense’s expert reports.