4.  The applicant was born in 1953 and lives in Sofia. 5.  On 7 March 1994 the applicant was charged with aiding and abetting large scale embezzlement. The charges were brought within the framework of criminal proceedings for abuse of power and embezzlement against several persons. 6.  On 8 March 1994 the applicant was questioned in connection to the above charges and a search of his business premises was carried out. 7.  On 11, 15, 23 and 24 March 1994 the applicant, some of the other persons charged and witnesses were questioned. 8.  On 28 March 1994 the applicant was also charged with documentary fraud, was questioned in that connection and bail was fixed for him. 9.  Between April and November 1994 at least fifteen questioning sessions and a search were carried out and several other persons were charged with abuse of power and embezzlement. 10.   As the applicant did not pay the bail and could not be found for questioning, on an unspecified date in 1994 the Bulgarian authorities, with the assistance of Interpol, initiated a national and an international search for him. 11.  On 5 December 1994 the applicant was found in Switzerland and on 26 January 1996 he was extradited to Bulgaria. 12.  Meanwhile, the criminal proceedings against him were still pending and between 9 November 1994 and 8 January 1996 at least fourteen questioning sessions were carried out and two expert opinions were commissioned. 13.  On 26 January 1996 the applicant was questioned and the findings of the investigation were presented to him. 14.  Between January and October 1996 a number of questioning sessions and several other investigative actions took place and the charges against the applicant were separated from these against the other persons involved. 15.  On 5 July 1997 a prosecutor from the Sofia city public prosecutor’s office dropped some of the charges against the applicant and prepared an indictment. Thus, the applicant remained charged only with aggravated documentary fraud, as a result of which he unlawfully received a large amount of money. 16.  On 5 September 1997 the indictment was sent to the Sofia City Court. 17.  During the first hearing of 5 March 1998 it became clear that the applicant had returned the allegedly embezzled amount to the victim company. 18.  For the period between 5 March 1998 and 12 January 1999 the Sofia City Court held at least fourteen hearings. 19.  By a judgment of 12 January 1999 the Sofia City Court acquitted the applicant. 20.  The prosecutor appealed. 21.  The Sofia Court of Appeal held at least three hearings. By a judgment of 13 March 2000 it upheld the acquittal. 22.  The prosecutor appealed further. On 22 May 2000 the Supreme Court of Cassation held a hearing. 23.  By a judgment of 3 October 2001 the Supreme Court of Cassation quashed the Sofia Court of Appeal judgment because of procedural breaches and remitted the case for fresh examination. 24.  After the remittal the Sofia Court of Appeal held hearings on 20 May and 23 September 2002. 25.  In a judgment of 21 November 2003 the Court of Appeal upheld the Sofia City Court judgment of 12 January 1999. 26.  So did the Supreme Court of Cassation in a final judgment of 24 June 2004. 27.  Apparently, no civil claim was brought against the applicant throughout the proceedings. 28.  During the search of the applicant’s business premises, carried out on 8 March 1994, a metal safe was seized. On 11 May 1994 an investigator from the Sofia National Investigation Service opened the safe and seized the amount of 986,444 old Bulgarian levs (BGL) (the equivalent of 41,874 German marks at the time or 21,410 euros (EUR)). In the seizure record of 11 May 1994 it was stated that the amount had been seized pursuant to Article 156 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1974 (CCP). The amount was deposited in a special bank account under which no interest was due. 29.  After the end of the criminal proceedings against the applicant, he requested the return of the seized amount. 30.  In a decision of 2 September 2004 the Sofia City Court ordered the amount to be returned to the applicant. It found that no civil claim had been lodged within the framework of the criminal proceedings and no attachments had been imposed. The applicant received 986.40 new Bulgarian levs (BGN), approximately EUR 504, which was the equivalent of the seized amount after the denomination of 1999.