For almost 30 years the OMO "Ilinden" has been functioning in Bulgaria, in one form or another. On paper and in words it fights for human rights, but in practice it is a political instrument, financed and controlled by the authorities in Skopje.

Its members have the same constitutional rights as all other Bulgarian citizens. They are starting families, developing businesses (some of them worth millions), living normally in an EU country. They participate in the political life in the Bulgarian towns of Petrich, Sandanski, Gotse Delchev, Blagoevgrad.

However, there are dozens of cases against Bulgaria in European courts. WHY? The answer is given to BGNES News Agency by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dimitar Tyulekov, historian from the Macedonian Scientific Institute and the most knowledgeable on the subject, and "Makedonicus", a former member of the organization, who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity.
"The sole purpose of OMO Ilinden is to defame Bulgaria," says the latter. He pointed out that the Macedonian illegal organisation is financed covertly by the state institutions of North Macedonia, with the aim of smearing Bulgaria in international institutions.
Tyulekov pointed out that the goal of OMO Ilinden is cultural and national autonomy - study of the Macedonian language, an Orthodox diocese under the Macedonian Orthodox Church, schools, etc.
"The real problem of North Macedonia is the Yugoslav genesis and the respect of the rights of our compatriots (the Macedonian Bulgarians). It is a real miracle that the Bulgarians there show courage, perseverance and express their national belonging," the historian added.

The Macedonian authorities are not a party to the cases brought by OMO "Ilinden" against Bulgaria in the Strasbourg Court of Human Rights, but this does not prevent them from using the cases for political purposes. In particular, as an excuse for the violation of international treaties and their non-implementation. This is done not only by the current Macedonian Prime Minister, Hristijan Mickoski, but by all the authorities in Skopje over the last 30 years. On the one hand, the demand for the recognition of a "Macedonian minority" in Bulgaria violates the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation, between Sofia and Skopje, signed in 2017. On the other hand, Macedonian politicians justify themselves with the Strasbourg verdicts in order not to include the Bulgarians as a state-forming people in the constitution of North Macedonia, which is a requirement in the Negotiating Framework for EU membership, adopted by all member states and Skopje.

By its actions, OMO Ilinden reveals its own complete dependence on the embassies of Belgrade and Skopje in Sofia.
Who is interested in historical falsification? Who is interested in destroying the bridges of rapprochement between Bulgaria and North Macedonia?
The answer is clear - the remnants of the Yugoslav regime in Belgrade, which to this day controls the political elite in North Macedonia. Serbia directly incites and financially provides both organisations like OMO "Ilinden" and the powerful lobbying campaign in international organisations against Bulgaria.
Bulgaria has wasted precious years because of the, to put it mildly, malicious decisions of its own envoy in the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
Not a single Bulgarian argument has been defended. The fact that North Macedonia is using OMO "Ilinden" solely for its geopolitical purposes has not been explained. The Bulgarian representative to the Council of Europe seems oblivious to the 2018 reform in Bulgaria, which made the registration procedure for such associations one of the most liberal in all of Europe. Maria Spasova does not even mention that there are already Macedonian associations in Bulgaria, such as "Antique Macedonians" in Gotse Delchev. Members of such organisations can freely define themselves as "Macedonians" in every census in Bulgaria. These people live without being discriminated against or restricted in any way because the Constitution of Bulgaria guarantees the individual rights of every person. All of this allows North Macedonia to defend its position at the expense of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian national interest. | BGNES
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Dimitar Ruskov, "International News" Department at the Bulgarian News Agency