The Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia has declared 23-year-old Iva Mihaylova from Kocani a central and international wanted person, bTV reports. The search warrant was issued at the request of the Basic Court in Kocani in connection with a charge of a serious crime under the Criminal Code.
Mihaylova is in Bulgaria, where she said she came to receive the necessary medical treatment. She told bTV that she crossed the border with her lawyer, presenting her ID card. However, the Macedonian Interior Ministry announced that there is no data in the border control system about the woman's registered exit from the country or her entry into Bulgaria.
How the case came to be
Iva Mihaylova has Bulgarian and Macedonian citizenship. She is being tried for a serious accident in October 2025 near Kocani, in which 33-year-old Besim Durmishi died and several people, including Mihaylova herself, were injured.
According to the prosecution, she was driving at excessive speed and entered oncoming traffic. Her defense disputes these allegations.
After the accident, restrictions were imposed on Mihaylova, preventing her from leaving North Macedonia. Meanwhile, her health condition is deteriorating and she insists on receiving specialized treatment in Bulgaria. The case also prompted a reaction from the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which announced that it had provided assistance to the young woman, including by providing a lawyer and documents related to the necessary treatment.
After arriving in Bulgaria, Mihaylova said that she felt safe and needed medical assistance. According to her, she crossed the border legally together with her lawyer.
Meanwhile, the court in Kocani has ordered her detention for 30 days, and the Macedonian Ministry of Interior has issued a central and international warrant for her search.