4.  On 22 March 1993 the applicant, who was working as an armed guard in a greenhouse, after having argument with a certain S.G. – a client of the greenhouse, shot the latter in the chest in the presence of a large number of witnesses. 5.  On the same day the applicant went to the police, handed in his gun and allegedly made a statement about the incident, admitting that he had opened fire against S.G. The gun was held by the police as physical evidence. 6.  On 29 March 1993 a preliminary investigation was opened against the applicant for having inflicted minor bodily harm on S.G. Apparently, the applicant was not informed about the opening of the criminal investigation against him. However, on the same day the leading investigator asked the applicant to sign a declaration as to his income and possessions. The latter was done in the course of the measures to secure the satisfaction of a civil claim which S.G. could file against the applicant. 7.  On 18 October 1993, upon S.G.’s request the leading investigator on the case was changed. 8.  For the period between October 1993 and 9 February 1995 the case remained dormant. 9.  In February 1995 S.G. and several witnesses were questioned. 10.  On 6 December 1995 the investigator requested from the competent authorities information on the applicant’s right to carry firearms, which was submitted to him the following day. 11.   The case remained dormant for the period between December 1995 and December 2002. 12.  On 17 December 2002 a medical expert opinion was commissioned. 13.  On 25 February 2003 the applicant was charged with inflicting intermediate bodily harm, was questioned and was presented with the findings of the investigation. 14.  On 25 April 2003 the charges against him were amended to attempted murder. 15.  For the period between 25 April 2003 and 10 May 2003 the applicant and several witnesses were questioned. 16.  On 22 May 2003 the indictment was filed with the Pazardzhik Regional Court and a hearing was scheduled for 25 June 2003. 17.  On 24 June 2003 S.G. filed a civil claim for damages against the applicant and the company Oranzherii – Kozarsko AD. 18.  In a judgment of 23 December 2003 the Pazardzhik Regional Court found the applicant guilty of attempted murder, sentenced him to six years’ imprisonment and ordered him to pay S.G. the amount of 10,000 Bulgarian levs (BGN), the equivalent of 5,112 euros (EUR) in damages, plus interest as of 22 March 1993, plus expenses. The court rejected the civil claim against Oranzherii-Kozarsko AD as it was not established that it was the successor of Co-operative Oranzherii Kozarsko, which had been the applicant’s employer at the time of the incident. 19.  Upon appeal, in a judgment of 1 April 2004 the Plovdiv Court of Appeal partly quashed the lower court’s judgment, reducing the applicant’s sentence to four years’ imprisonment and the amount of the awarded damages to BGN 5,000 (the equivalent of EUR 2,556), plus interest as of 22 March 1993. In determining the applicant’s reduced sentence, the court had regard to a number of factors, among which the long lapse of time between the offence and the sentence, the applicant’s good behaviour and the fact that he had not committed other offences and his family status. It further held that the applicant was not responsible for the delay in the criminal proceedings, which was clearly attributable to the authorities. 20.  On further appeal, in a final judgment of 25 January 2005 the Supreme Court of Cassation upheld the judgment of the Court of Appeal. 21.  On 14 February 2005 the applicant was taken to prison. 22.  On 7 March 2006 a writ of execution was issued to S.G. and on an unspecified date enforcement proceedings were opened against the applicant. 23.  On 26 April 2005 the latter was invited to voluntarily pay the amount of BGN 5,000, the equivalent of EUR 2,556 – damages, BGN 24, 062 (the equivalent of EUR 12,302) – interest and BGN 540 (the equivalent of EUR 276) – lawyer’s fees and other expenses. Form the information in the case file it appears that as of the applicant’s latest communication to the Court of January 2010 he still had not fully paid the above amounts. 24.  On 20 December 2007 the applicant was released from prison.