Balgarianovinite.com The two Bulgarian shadow rapporteurs on the European Parliament’s report on the Republic of North Macedonia’s accession to the European Union have sent a letter to all Members of the European Parliament regarding the conviction of Ljupco Georgievski, chairman of the dissolved Ivan Mihailov Cultural Centre in Bitola, Vazrazhdane’s press centre said on Saturday.
As reported by BTA earlier this week, the Bitola Court of Appeal dismissed Georgievski’s appeal against a ruling by the Basic Court, which handed him a one-year suspended prison sentence with a two-year probation period. The appellate court thus upheld his conviction on charges of xenophobia, racism and disseminating racial hatred electronically over quotations by Ivan Mihailov shared on the association’s Facebook page.
According to the party’s press release, the letter, signed by shadow rapporteurs Stanislav Stoyanov, leader of the Europe of Sovereign Nations party and deputy chair of the European Parliament group of the same name, and MEP Ivaylo Valchev, draws attention to “a deeply troubling development in North Macedonia that raises serious questions about the country’s commitment to the Copenhagen political criteria and the fundamental values on which the European Union is founded.”
The two MEPs write that, by upholding the lower court’s ruling, the Court of Appeal has turned the case into a significant judicial precedent. They add that Georgievski has announced his intention to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
“The conviction is particularly concerning given that the activities of the Ivan Mihailov Bulgarian Cultural Centre consisted of peaceful cultural and historical initiatives,” Valchev and Stoyanov write. In their view, the criminal conviction of the association’s chairman under these circumstances sends “a deeply troubling signal regarding freedom of expression, cultural rights and the ability of citizens to openly identify themselves as Bulgarians.” They add that, in their assessment, the ruling is not an isolated case but part of a broader pattern.
The party also said that Angel Georgiev of Vazrazhdane, who chairs the National Assembly’s Committee on Policies for Bulgarians Abroad, has sent a letter on the same issue to all shadow rapporteurs. Bulgarian Shadow Rapporteurs on North Macedonia’s EU Accession Send Letter to MEPs over Ljupco Georgievski Verdict 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-07-18 12:25:44 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law
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