ANATOLIY MARINOV v. BULGARIA JUDGMENT applicant’s claim for just satisfaction) did not appear to be, in their view, identical to the one affixed to his identity card and to a copy of one of the documents annexed to the observations. The Government also considered this contract to be invalid owing to the absence of the signature of the applicant’s guardian, as required by the domestic law. 20. Furthermore, the Government submitted that the application should be rejected for non-exhaustion of domestic remedies, arguing that the applicant had had the opportunity to seek the judicial termination of his guardianship, but had not – through his own fault and the fault of his legal representative – adequately availed himself of this procedure, which led to the termination of the proceedings (paragraphs 7-9 above). 21. Lastly, the Government pleaded that the application constituted an abuse of the right of individual application within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 (a) of the Convention, as the applicant had failed to inform the Court of: (1) his attempts to restore his legal capacity through judicial proceedings before the Bulgarian courts, and (2) the existence of proceedings for the appointment of a new guardian for the applicant (paragraphs 7-9 and 12 above). 22. The applicant’s representative responded that the applicant had signed the contract in question (together with other documents) in the offices of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee in person; he therefore argued that he had been validly authorised to represent the applicant. 23. The applicant also argued that the proceedings for the restoration of his legal capacity were irrelevant to the subject matter of his complaint. The purpose of the present application was solely to challenge the legal basis of his being deprived, as a person placed under guardianship, of his right to vote. He also contested the argument that he had abused of his right to lodge an application with the Court, as the information which the Government had asserted had been withheld from the Court (paragraph 21 above) did not in fact relate to the core matter of the present case. 2. The Court’s assessment (a) Regarding the validity of the applicant’s representation 24. The Court observes that the applicant signed the “power of attorney” section within the application form and thus authorised Mr K. Kanev to act as his representative before the Court. The applicant did not at a later stage lodge any declaration that he had withdrawn this power of attorney. The Court is therefore satisfied that the application was validly submitted on behalf of the applicant and that the latter wishes Mr Kanev to pursue his complaints. The Court also notes that for the applicant to lodge an application with the Court (whether or not he is represented), the applicant’s guardian’s consent is not required, even if that is the case under the domestic legal framework (see Stanev v. Bulgaria [GC], no. 36760/06, § 43, ECHR 2012, where it 5