Position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
12 June 2025 News
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria considers the conviction delivered today by the Basic Court in Bitola against Mr Ljupcho Georgievski to be categorically unacceptable. Mr Georgievski is one of the most prominent representatives of the Bulgarian community in the Republic of North Macedonia, the chairman of the Ivan Mihailov Cultural Club – Bitola, which was shut down by the authorities in Skopje, and a Bulgarian citizen.
It is absolutely intolerable that, in a country which claims to be a model of a functioning multiethnic democracy, open expression of affiliation with the Bulgarian people, commemoration of Bulgarian national symbols and heroes, and dissemination of authentic Bulgarian literature should be punished with the threat of imprisonment.
There is no doubt that the approach of the authorities in North Macedonia, combined with the deliberate cultivation of an atmosphere of intolerance through ongoing anti-Bulgarian rhetoric, aims to instil fear around the exercise of the right to free self-identification, and to marginalise and stigmatise the Bulgarian community.
Violations of the rights of Bulgarians in North Macedonia are a matter of record and cannot be denied. Today’s court ruling against Mr Georgievski is yet another confirmation of the de facto refusal of the authorities in our south-western neighbour to guarantee the fundamental rights of this group of its own citizens. Quite the contrary — rather than protecting them, the judicial system is being actively used against them. This stands as clear evidence of the very issues identified by the European Union regarding the independence, professionalism, effectiveness and impartiality of the judiciary in North Macedonia.
However, this approach of institutional intimidation cannot silence the voice of Macedonian Bulgarians or their legitimate aspiration to have their rights safeguarded as equal citizens of North Macedonia, in line with European values and standards.
The Bulgarian institutions remain firmly committed to the protection of the rights of Bulgarians in North Macedonia, including through the use of all available international human rights mechanism.
*Today, the Basic Court in Bitola issued a suspended sentence of one year with a probation period of two years against Mr Ljupcho Georgievski on charges of inciting hatred, discord, or intolerance on the grounds of national, racial, religious or other discriminatory basis, and disseminating racist and xenophobic materials via social media.