June 4 marked three years since the arson attack against the Ivan Mihaylov Cultural Centre in Bitola, North Macedonia. It sparked a strong public reaction and raised the issue of human rights and interethnic relations in North Macedonia.
On this occasion, Lyupcho Georgievski, Chairman of the Ivan Mihaylov Cultural Club, banned by North Macedonia’s authorities, issued a statement on social media claiming the arson was a deliberate attack against the Bulgarian community. ''Instead of the crime being investigated, the victims have been turned into defendants. Instead of bringing the perpetrators to justice, the state targeted us with its repressive machinery. A fabricated political case was brought against me. After three years of court proceedings, the trial has ended, but the court stubbornly remains silent. The verdict is deliberately postponed to prolong the execution'', Lyupcho Georgievski wrote. ''In a European Macedonia, Bulgarians are persecuted for their identity. The doors to Europe do not open through club arsons, human rights violations and political trials'', reads Georgievski’s statement, quoted by tribuna.mk.
Edited by Ivo IvanovPublished and translated by Kostadin Atanasov
Photo: BGNES-archive
On Tuesday , the lowest temperatures will be between 8 and 13°C; in Sofia - about 8°C. During the day, it will remain cloudy. There will be rainfalls in some places. The highest temperatures will be between 10 and 15°C; in the..
Bulgaria relies on the efforts of honorary consuls from around the world to help establish new partnerships in the fields of economy, trade, innovation, education and tourism. Our country can become more visible by restoring its positions and building..
North Macedonia has still not adopted the necessary constitutional amendments aimed at including Bulgarians and other non-majority communities in the constitution. This is stated in the annual report of the European Commission on the progress of EU..
The European Commission has presented a proposal for developing high-speed railway lines within the EU until 2040, linking the capitals in the EU, among..
The European Commission has decided to withhold EUR 215 million from the second payment under Bulgaria’s recovery and resilience plan, the EC told the..
Prokopan is the only railway tunnel on the Plovdiv-Burgas line. This became clear during a visit by Deputy Minister of Transport Lyuben Nanov, who was..
Cloudy
Rain
Overcast, rain
Scattered showers