Anton Zlatanov, head of the Border Police, said no rules were broken at Bulgarian border crossings in the case of Iva Mihaylova. The border control system has no record of her crossing at the Bulgaria-North Macedonia checkpoints, he said in a TV interview.

This report follows our earlier story on Iva Mihaylova's arrival in Bulgaria, where she will get treatment at Pirogov hospital.

On the morning of 12 October it emerged that Mihaylova is in Bulgaria. North Macedonian authorities told Bulgaria they are looking for her and want her extradited. She holds both Bulgarian and North Macedonian citizenship. Bulgaria has already told Skopje that its system shows no record of her crossing at the border with North Macedonia.

The request from Interpol Skopje went to the International Operational Cooperation Directorate. It asks for an international search, arrest and extradition of Mihaylova. The directorate received it on 13 October at 7.38pm, and the Interior Ministry announced it on 14 October.

Zlatanov said the Bulgarian state made no error that should cause alarm. He said he has an idea how Mihaylova got into Bulgaria but would not comment on it, and he noted that a check of the case is under way.

Mihaylova and her lawyer, Nikolay Dimitrov, said she came in through a border crossing and showed her ID cards issued by North Macedonia and by Bulgaria. The Interior Ministry said her exit from North Macedonia is not recorded in the Border Police system.