BACKGROUND, WHEREABOUTS AND ACTIVITIES OF IVAN MIHAILOV

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00423R000300710001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 29, 1999
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 16, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

roved For Release 1999
83-00423ROO
security In
tioi
16 April 1953
COUNTRY: Macedonia/Bulgaria/Italy
SUBJECT: Background,Whereabouts And Activities
of Ivan Mihailov
PLACE ACQUIRED:
DATE ACQUIRED BY SOURCE:
DATE OF INFORMATION;
1. The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization CrV27 has within
the last thirty years completly changed its course. From a true
revolutionary organization, it has deteriorated to a point where it
is today a private group used only by Ivan Mihailov, whose ambitions
are to become the ruler of a free and independent Macedonia.
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The US branch of the IMRO is the Macedonian Political Organization
cMP9 which, through its secretary Luben Dimitroff, acts as a money
raising organ to support Ivan Mihailov. Dimitroff is completely
subserviant to Mihailov who sets the policy for MPO activities in the
US. Dimitroff and several of his staff are paid for their work, while
Ivan IvIihailov receives approximately US$ 8,000 per year plus expenses.
Although the money to pay the salaries is raised in the US very few
people know that Ivan Mihailov is hiding in Italy under an assumed
name which unfortunately, I do not know.
Up until 1928 Mihailovts job was to supply ammunition for the Macedonian
revolutionists in Sofia, Bulgaria. Iiihailov lived in Sofia where he was
the official representative for the IMRO when that organization was under
the leadership of Todor Alexandroff. In 1926Alexandroff was assassinated
and Mihailov assumed leadership of the IMRO. Insistent rumor has it that
Alexandroff was murdered at Mihailovts behest, but no proof has ever been
shown that this is so.
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4. Since 1928 the IMftO has never held an official congress where Mihailov
would have to give an accounting of his actions. From ~~" 193
Miha3.l:o-v~es~i'e~?,,:3~r,:....,,.~~s :W~pPc~~~~s~.ora~: to.,:..1~~,~: _,a~t~ans...
From 1928 until 1934 Mihailov remained in Sofia and crushed all opposi-
tion to his leadership; rumor again has it that more than 1,000
Macedonians were eliminated, mainly by the Bulgarian government, who might
have contested Mihailov's leadership.
5. In 1934 Mihailov left Bulgaria and was next seen in Turkey. Later he
moved to Poland, and, when the Germans invaded 'oland he moved to Zagreb
where he was the personal guest of Ante Pavov ich. When the Germans
took Zagreb he moved to Vienna as a special guest of the Nazi government.
6. During World War II Mihailov worked in full cooperation with the Nazis
using his man (fnu) Tzilev &so known as Zileff and Tzileff in dealings
with the Gestapo. Tzilev was later killed, sometime in 1944, by the
Gestapo. Later Assen Avremov sometimes known as Avraxnof took Tzilev's
place and is currently February 19537 in Canada.
7. Avramov was sent to Canada by Mihailov to strengthen the MPO, collect
more money and also to spot the opposition to the MPO both in Canada and
the US.
8. Mihailov has ],ong been suspected of playing "fogtsy" with the Soviets.
In 1920, M hailov`sent to the Soviet Union one, ('f nu) Vlahov to meet with
Stalin and Georgi Dimitroff to discuss the possibility o the formation
of a Free Macedonian state. In 1945 when Tito created an autonomous
Communist Macedonia, the MPO congress in the US sent a congratulatory
telegram to Tito. The telegram was published in "New Macedonia" 4 Oct 45
issue, an organ of the Communist party which is printed in Skopje. Later,,
when Tito broke from Moscow the MPO and Mihailov broke with Tito.
9. The relationships between Mihailov, the MPO and Dr "Gemie" Dimitroff have
always been cordial. In late 1950 the"Macedonian Tribune" gave Dr Dimitroff
a detailed interview, the only one of its kind given to any Bulgarian. In
this interview Dr Dimitroff very generously disclaimed his rights to Macedonia
and officially willed it to Mihailov.
10. Although the IMRO has no members nor groups in Macedonia, Bulgaria or Europe
but only in the US and Canada, Mihailov's influence is still strong. For
example the recently appointed head of the Bulgarian section of the Voice
of America in Munich, Alexander Dimitroff, appointed one of Mihailov's right
hand men to his staff; this is Christo Ognanoff (Ognianav) who, during
World War II, was in Berlin in Hitler's Ministry of Propaganda. Ognanoff
has written hundreds of articles against the US and Canada some of which were
published in English in the Bulgarian paper "Zora". Recently Mihailov sent
to the US two of his most trusted associates who are currently in Detroit.
They are: Ivan Vassilev who has become president of the MPO branch in Detroit;
Vassilev's real name is Ivan Ilchev but he changed it so he could enter the US.
The other ncbman is Argir o ov.
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11. In conclusion I would say that Ivan Mihailov is a gangeter, terrorist
who cannot be trusted by the US or anyone; he runs the IRMO and the MPO
entirely for his on advancement.
Approved For Release 1999 tY NO
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