5.  The applicant was born in 1972 and lives in Burgas. 6.  At about 6 a.m. on 11 July 2007 several police officers visited the applicant’s home with a summons for him to report to the police station in the neighbouring town of Pomorie “as a witness” in relation to an investigation. The applicant alleged that he was not at home at the time and that he was alerted by phone by his wife. On the summons, on the other hand, it is noted that he refused to accept receipt. 7.  At about 7 a.m. the applicant arrived at the Pomorie police station. He was notified that he was being detained under section 63(1)(1) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Act (“the MIAA”, see paragraph 15 below). The detention order stated that he was being detained on the basis of section 63(1)(1) “in connection with an offence under Article 195 of the Criminal Code”, which refers to theft. 8.  During his detention, the applicant was transported to a police station in Burgas and then back to the police station in Pomorie, where his fingerprints were taken. He was not interviewed, and no further investigative steps involving his participation were taken. 9.  At about 12 a.m. the applicant was allowed to meet with a lawyer retained by his wife, who insisted that the police release him. The applicant was released shortly after that, at 1.30 p.m. on 11 July 2007. 10.  Immediately after his release the applicant applied for judicial review of the detention order. In the framework of the ensuing proceedings the police presented an order dated 10 July 2007 and signed by a police investigator in Pomorie. They stated that the case file concerning the applicant contained no further documents. The order stated that a theft had been committed by an unknown person in a hotel in Pomorie and instructed the police to take the appropriate measures to search for the perpetrator. 11.  The Burgas Administrative Court heard the case on 28 November 2007. It accepted the order mentioned in the preceding paragraph as evidence. 12.  In a judgment of 21 December 2007 it upheld the detention order, holding that the applicant’s detention had been in accordance with the law. It found, in particular, that for the lawful application of section 63(1)(1) of the MIAA it was not necessary that the police should hold evidence showing “in an unqualified manner” that the detainee had committed an offence; data “justifying a suspicion that there was a probability that the person had committed an offence” was sufficient. The domestic court noted further that the police had operational freedom as to the application of section 63(1)(1) of the MIAA. 13.  On appeal by the applicant, on 17 November 2008 the Supreme Administrative Court upheld the judgment of the Burgas Administrative Court, reiterating its reasoning.