advertisement
Sat, Feb 11 2012
Spaska Mitrova was not Bulgarian when I married her, ex-husband says
Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Roumyana Zheleva, right, was one of the many public officials who gave Spaska Mitrova, left, a warm welcome after she was released from prison on October 8 2009
Photo: Асен Тонев
There were a lot of lies in the words of Spaska Mitrova, whose imprisonment caused a diplomatic row between Sofia and Skopje, Mitrova's former husband Voislav Savic told Bulgarian private channel bTV on October 15 2009.
The imprisonment of Mitrova, a Macedonian citizen with Bulgarian passport, caused a diplomatic row between Sofia and Skopje. She was sentenced to three months in prison because she had refused to allow her former husband to see their child.
At the time, Bulgarian officials, including the Minister for Bulgarians abroad, Bozhidar Dimitrov, accused Macedonian authorities of excessive use of force against her because she had applied for a Bulgarian passport.
Mitrova was sentenced in July 2008, but imprisonment was delayed while she appealed the sentence. She failed to turn up at the prison to see out her sentence and was arrested on July 30. In the meantime, she had applied for Bulgarian citizenship.
She was released from prison on October 8 2009 and was given warm welcome by Bulgarian institutions and state officials, with Prime Minister Boiko Borissov saying he could not understand a judicial system which had decided to send a mother with a newborn baby to jail.
"There are a lot of lies going around. Take the lie about me being a drug addict, an alcoholic or a bully. Take that one about Spaska being sentenced only because she is a Bulgarian," Savic told bTV in his first interview with Bulgarian media on the issue.
"Spaska Mitrova is Bulgarian as much as I am black," he said. "She wasn't Bulgarian when I married her, nor when she was at school. She wasn't Bulgarian when the court case was launched and she wasn't Bulgarian when she had to go to jail," he said.
"The problem is not where you come from or who you are but what kind of parent are you. It's not a question where you come from, this is what I want to point out. I have nothing against Bulgaria and anyone else. And what Bulgaria has against me, I don't know," Savic said.
One of the first things Mitrova said after being released from prison and taken to Bulgaria was that she wanted to get her daughter back as she did not known where she was.
"Spaska knew where her daughter was when she got out of the prison. She knew it when she was in and she knows it now. The child is not hidden somewhere. The child is not a toy to be hidden," Savic, who currently lives with his daughter Susana in the town of Gevgelija, said.
According to Savic, Mitrova has not made any attempt in asking to see her child after getting out of prison.
He said that Mitrova had two previous suspended sentenced for not letting him see his child. "Every month I paid child support and she wouldn't let me see my daughter. If I did not pay the support I would have ended in jail. When I took my daughter from the police on July 30, she had one diaper and a blouse on. When I asked her what she wanted to eat she said: bread and ketchup. Now she can count and sing children songs," Savic said.
"I loved Spaska. If I didn't, I wouldn't have married her. We've known each other for ages. We were friends for seven years before getting married," he said.
The peculiar thing is that their married life as a couple lasted for seven hours, although Spaska was pregnant in the day of the wedding.
"We were married for as long as the wedding lasted which was six-seven hours. She left my house on the same day we got married and to this day I still don't known why. After the wedding, her parents came by, she changed from her wedding dress and just left without saying goodbye".
Savic is hoping to get full custody over their daughter in a new case which has started in the town of Gevgelija, bTV said.
The imprisonment of Mitrova, a Macedonian citizen with Bulgarian passport, caused a diplomatic row between Sofia and Skopje. She was sentenced to three months in prison because she had refused to allow her former husband to see their child.
At the time, Bulgarian officials, including the Minister for Bulgarians abroad, Bozhidar Dimitrov, accused Macedonian authorities of excessive use of force against her because she had applied for a Bulgarian passport.
Mitrova was sentenced in July 2008, but imprisonment was delayed while she appealed the sentence. She failed to turn up at the prison to see out her sentence and was arrested on July 30. In the meantime, she had applied for Bulgarian citizenship.
She was released from prison on October 8 2009 and was given warm welcome by Bulgarian institutions and state officials, with Prime Minister Boiko Borissov saying he could not understand a judicial system which had decided to send a mother with a newborn baby to jail.
"There are a lot of lies going around. Take the lie about me being a drug addict, an alcoholic or a bully. Take that one about Spaska being sentenced only because she is a Bulgarian," Savic told bTV in his first interview with Bulgarian media on the issue.
"Spaska Mitrova is Bulgarian as much as I am black," he said. "She wasn't Bulgarian when I married her, nor when she was at school. She wasn't Bulgarian when the court case was launched and she wasn't Bulgarian when she had to go to jail," he said.
"The problem is not where you come from or who you are but what kind of parent are you. It's not a question where you come from, this is what I want to point out. I have nothing against Bulgaria and anyone else. And what Bulgaria has against me, I don't know," Savic said.
One of the first things Mitrova said after being released from prison and taken to Bulgaria was that she wanted to get her daughter back as she did not known where she was.
"Spaska knew where her daughter was when she got out of the prison. She knew it when she was in and she knows it now. The child is not hidden somewhere. The child is not a toy to be hidden," Savic, who currently lives with his daughter Susana in the town of Gevgelija, said.
According to Savic, Mitrova has not made any attempt in asking to see her child after getting out of prison.
He said that Mitrova had two previous suspended sentenced for not letting him see his child. "Every month I paid child support and she wouldn't let me see my daughter. If I did not pay the support I would have ended in jail. When I took my daughter from the police on July 30, she had one diaper and a blouse on. When I asked her what she wanted to eat she said: bread and ketchup. Now she can count and sing children songs," Savic said.
"I loved Spaska. If I didn't, I wouldn't have married her. We've known each other for ages. We were friends for seven years before getting married," he said.
The peculiar thing is that their married life as a couple lasted for seven hours, although Spaska was pregnant in the day of the wedding.
"We were married for as long as the wedding lasted which was six-seven hours. She left my house on the same day we got married and to this day I still don't known why. After the wedding, her parents came by, she changed from her wedding dress and just left without saying goodbye".
Savic is hoping to get full custody over their daughter in a new case which has started in the town of Gevgelija, bTV said.
-
Print
-
Send via email
- Translate to
-
Share:
Comments
To post comments, please, Login or Register.
Please read the The Sofia Echo forum comments policy.
Macedonian court imposes nine-month suspended sentence on Spaska Mitrova
A Macedonian court in the town of Kavadarci imposed a nine-month suspended sentence and 500 euro fine in the trial against Macedonian-born Bulgarian passport holder Spaska Mitrova for contempt of court.
Spaska Mitrova loses custody of her child
The court case was not transparent, says the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry after the court barred a Bulgarian embassy official from attending
We are solving Bulgaria's demographic crisis - Bozhidar Dimitrov
"Seventy per cent of ethnic Bulgarians abroad want to come to Bulgaria," Bulgarian Minister without Portfolio Dimitrov said.
European court rules in child custody case
A court of an EU member State in which a child is present cannot provisionally grant custody of the child to one parent if a court of another member state, which has jurisdiction as to the substance of the case, has already given custody to the other parent.
My Bulgaria: The battle for Spaska
Prime Minister Boiko Borissov won one of his first victories abroad after Spaska Mitrova was released from a Macedonian court on October 8.
Macedonians made fun of Bulgaria, PM Borissov says of Mitrova's release
I don't understand a system which sends a mother of a newborn to prison, Boiko Borissov says, ahead of his meeting with Spaska Mitrova.
Macedonia releases Bulgarian national
Spaska Mitrova, whose imprisonment caused a diplomatic row between Sofia and Skopje, was released from prison on October 8 2009.
‘Bulgarians Abroad’ minister Dimitrov cancels Macedonia visit
Bozhidar Dimitrov withdraws from visit to Macedonian town of Prilep, where he had been scheduled to attend the inauguration of a military cemetery, after controversy about whether those interred there are Bulgarian or Macedonian soldiers.
Bulgarian minister ready to take Mitrova's place in jail
And while he is there, he will teach Macedonian inmates about their Bulgarian roots.
Mitrova case of Macedonian identity crisis - Bozhidar Dimitrov
In what might be seen as an outline of Bulgaria's policy towards Macedonia, Bulgarian Minister without portfolio, responsible for Bulgarians abroad, said Mitrova case not alone, cause was Macedonian identity crisis.
More in this category
US embassy in Sofia announces youth essay contest
Works will be reviewed by a group of judges, and winners will receive certificates and prizes.
Bulgarian police bust drug distribution gang in ‘Operation Hammer’
Seven arrested, including ‘The Squirrel’ who was found in possession of 10 00 euro, Interior Ministry says. Mobile phones, computer equipment and drug paraphernalia seized.
Bulgaria’s winter weekend weather – cloudy and cold with light snow
Maximum temperatures across the country will remain mostly below zero.
Mild earth tremors in Bulgaria on February 10
The first tremor was at about 12.34am, followed by another three minutes later. Their epicentres were located between the towns of Radnevo and Topolovgrad.
Bulgaria halts electricity exports after power plant accident
There was no risk of blackouts caused by insufficient power supply, Economy Minister Traicho Traikov told Bulgarian National Radio.
© 2000-2012, Sofia Echo Media Ltd.
Web Design by RIZN
Sofia Echo Media is part of the Economedia Group.
The news and information content on this website is provided by our editorial team and is copyrighted.
Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only
with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site.
Comments posted by the website's visitors are independent of the editorial materials and do not represent the views of sofiaecho.com.
Sofia Echo Media cannot be held responsible for the statements contained in visitor comments.
The percentаge change in the shares' prices are based on the price of the last transaction of the current session compared to the
price of the last transaction of the previous session. Bulgarian Stock Exchange data is not real-time, but updated every 15 minutes,
and should not be used as a basis for decisions about buying or selling stock options.
- Economedia Group portfolio:
- In Bulgarian:
-
Business:
Капитал,
Кариери,
Пазари,
Ho Re Mag,
Регал,
Градът.bg,
Одит,
Foton.bg,
Online shop
- News: Дневник, Европа, Foreign Policy - България
- IT: IDG.BG, Computerworld, PC World, CIO, Networkworld
- Entertainment: Бакхус
-
In English:
The Sofia Echo
Most of you are ignoring the real issue here. She has rights as a Bulgarian, he has rights as a Macedonian, blah blah blah. The only person whose rights are trampled all over here and who has no voice is the baby. THE BABY HAS THE RIGHT to know BOTH parents and if that is violated the yes the person violating that right should go to prison. End of story.
There is so much political scoring here that the poor child is missing out on knowing both parents.
Frankly I think she should end up in [...]
Read the full comment prison until she learn to love her child enough to give that child an opportunity to be loved and cared for by both parents.
Who the hell does she think she is denying her own child this?
You NEVER use an innocent child as some sort of a tool to get back at your partner.
And yes, for all you who think that a parent cannot end up in prison for contempt of court, they can. Contempt of court is a criminal offense in any country and ignoring court orders like she did is exactly what was she was going to be charged with.
I can see she is just an angry woman who will stoop as low as getting another citizenship in order to get what she wants. Do you Bulgarian really think she feels Bulgarian? Like the ex said, she wasn't Bulgarian when they met. I wonder why.
Only if one parent presents clear danger to a child should that parent be denied access. Only then. She had no right to make that decision on her own.
Spaska Mitrova is a Bulgarian citizen. Her rights must be protected and the Bulgarian government must step in and utilize all means necessary to make sure she gets a fair trial within the scope of Macedonian law.
The Bulgarian government tried using Spaska as a case that "people who say they are Bulgarian are discriminated." This has been Bulgaria's position for a long time now, believing that the Macedonians will not say they are Bulgarian simply because of the "communist regime."
Spaska's husband confessed she did not identify as Bulgarian before the crisis, she was using the Bulgarian government as leverage.
In the end, both Spaska and Bulgaria look like fools. Long live Macedonia.
In my view people like Mr.Savich who call themselves "ethnic Macedonians" and tell other people like Mrs Mitrova who they are, who they were and who should they be. He is a typical representative of the people that still rule in the wretched Vardar Macedonia since 1913.God bless Bulgaria!
Why such a hupla over a domestic problem?Bulgaria has engaged in this issue politicly.Are they so concerned on freedom?How about freedom for the "Omo Ilinden? in Bulgaria?Oh,they are only Macedonians that Bulgaria does not want to have anything to do.But one Macedonian like Mitreva who is Macedonian,Bulgaria jumped to her defence,ironiv,is it not?
look, if someone wants to claim in his/her comment knowledge of inhabitants of a certain location, suggesting that they live in the same location, that person had better not use an ip address in Sydney.... if on top of that, the comment is not much more than foul abuse, you get banned.
why does name-calling and lying have come into commenting?
This comment has been hidden by the moderator because it contained квалификации.
George - relax man, "us Bulgarians" couldn't give a rat's ass about some of the issues that are going on - the reports are so charged with political agendas that they are not even real. For example, the fact that Macedonia is mistreating Bulgarians - that landed Mitrova in jail, I personally have no clue about and doubt.
And Polecat - I agree with Valeri that it's extreme. Divorces usually end up with police present, but not jail. Especially in countries where criminals usually walk.
Bulgarians politicans will use anything and everything to make a Macedonian a Bulgarian.
Why don't the Bugarian government give free visa's to the 40 millon people around the world who have been diplaced due to conflicts and wars.
The Bugarian government is become desprite to take the Macedonian idenity like the Greeks.
What message those it send to the world, two EU & NATO counries (Bugaria & Greece) are fighting for the idenity of Macedonia.
Shame on you both bugarians and Greeks, you are worse than the Albanians.
"He said that Mitrova had two previous suspended sentenced for not letting him see his child."
The father has a right and a duty to be a father. She refused his repeated requests. She refused the court's orders on two previous ocassions. The third time she deserved what she got.
Why is anyone shocked that she was sent to jail over this? Do you really expect the court to be toothless and allow her to ignore the issue? Do you really think it's ok for the father to be excluded?
[...]
Read the full comment
Ridiculous story, all over - for the woman, and for the state officials on the Bulgarian side... No (more) comment.
"Spaska Mitrova is Bulgarian as much as I am black,"
What does he look like? Considering how often the Turks used Arab auxiliaries to subdue the region, any proud descendant of Alexander, shouldn't be too surprised at their frisky hair;)
"If I did not pay the support I would have ended in jail."
I am not a lawyer, but isn't this a bit extreme?
Even in a police State like the US, it takes much more than that to be locked up....
New born baby who is speaking??