6.  The applicants are a son and his mother. They were born in 1987 and 1962 respectively and live in Volgograd. 7.  On 29 October 2002 the first applicant, a minor at that time, was arrested on suspicion of several counts of robbery committed in conspiracy with others. Until 6 November 2002 he was held at the Krasnoarmeyskiy District police station. On 6 November 2002 he was transferred to remand centre no. 4 in Volgograd. 8.  During the night of 29 to 30 October 2002 the first applicant was held in cell no. 1 together with adults. The cell was overcrowded. Inmates had to take turns to sleep. 9.  On 30 October 2002 he was transferred to cell no. 4. The cell measured about 8 sq. m and accommodated ten inmates. The cell had no windows. It was equipped with a dim lamp which was never switched off. 10.  Inmates slept on a bench about 20 cm wide and 2 m long or on the concrete floor. They were not provided with bedding. They had to remain standing during the day as the bench was not big enough for all of them to sit on. 11.  Inmates were not allowed to exercise outdoors. Two or three times a day they were escorted to the toilets. 12.  Inmates were not provided with any food or drinking water. They ate food supplied by relatives and drank tap water from the toilets. 13.  According to the Government, the Krasnoarmeyskiy District police station did not have a temporary detention facility. All detained persons were held in five cells for temporarily arrested persons (комнаты для временно доставленных). The cells were not equipped with beds. Bedding and food were not provided. Drinking water was provided upon request. Outdoor exercise was not organised as the police station had no exercise yard. The police station had toilet facilities which inmates could use upon request. It was not possible to establish in which cells the first applicant had been held or the number of inmates in those cells, as the registers for that period had been destroyed on the expiry of the statutory storage period. 14.  It can be seen from an undated report issued by the Ministry of the Interior, submitted by the Government, that the cells for temporary arrested persons at the Krasnoarmeyskiy District police station had no windows. Each cell had forced ventilation and artificial lighting and was equipped with benches. The cells had no beds or lavatory bowls. Inmates were allowed to use communal toilet facilities upon request. The same information is contained in the report of 26 April 2007 prepared by the Volgograd Regional Department of the Ministry of the Interior. 15.  Further, it follows from an affidavit by an acting head of the Krasnoarmeyskiy District police station that the police station's registers for 2002 had been lost. It was therefore impossible to establish the cell in which the first applicant had been held. 16.  The Government also submitted black and white photographs of cells nos. 1 and 4. The photographs show small windowless rooms with bare concrete walls, narrow benches along one of the walls and an electric lamp above the door. No other furniture or equipment is visible. 17.  On 30 October 2002 the first applicant was questioned by the investigator and admitted his guilt. The second applicant was present during the questioning. Ms S., who had been appointed by the investigator to act as the first applicant's counsel, was also present. 18.  On 31 October 2002 the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court of Volgograd remanded the first applicant in custody. The court referred to the gravity of the charges and the risk of his absconding or interfering with the investigation. It also noted that the first applicant was unemployed. A prosecutor and the applicants were present at the hearing. Ms S. did not attend. 19.  On 1 November 2002 the second applicant, in her capacity as the first applicant's guardian, lodged an appeal. She referred to the first applicant's young age, permanent place of residence and positive references. She further submitted that placement in custody would interrupt his studies at school. She also informed the appeal court that she had retained counsel Mr D. to represent the first applicant and asked that he be invited to the appeal hearing. 20.  On 6 November 2002 the first applicant was formally charged with several counts of armed robbery in conspiracy with others. 21.  On 14 November 2002 the prosecutor submitted, in reply to the second applicant's appeal submissions against the custody order of 1 November 2002, that there was a strong evidentiary basis against the first applicant, in particular his confession, witness statements and the results of the search in his flat, where some of the stolen objects had been found. There were reasons to believe that the first applicant might abscond, reoffend or interfere with the investigation. He had regularly skipped school, had negative references from the teachers and his parents had no influence over him. Further, some of the stolen objects had not yet been discovered and the first applicant might destroy them if released. One of the accomplices was hiding from the police and the first applicant might influence him and induce him to conceal the information about the offences committed. In any event, it was necessary to isolate the first applicant and his accomplices from each other to prevent collusion. Finally, the prosecutor submitted that the first applicant and his accomplices were dangerous and immoral as they had robbed kindergartens, had assaulted elderly nightwatchmen and had destroyed kindergartens' property intended for young children. 22.  On 3 December 2002 the Volgograd Regional Court upheld the decision of 31 October 2002 on appeal, finding that it had been well reasoned and justified. The District Court had correctly relied on the gravity of the charges and the information on the first applicant's character. The first applicant was not brought to the courtroom. His counsel was not notified of the date of the hearing and was also absent. The prosecutor was in attendance and made oral submissions. 23.  On 24 December 2002 the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court extended the first applicant's detention until 16 February 2003. The court found that the first applicant had not attended school, had been charged with particularly serious offences and might therefore abscond, reoffend or interfere with the investigation. The applicants, counsel Mr D. and the prosecutor attended the hearing. 24.  On 14 February 2003 the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court granted a further extension of the first applicant's detention until 16 April 2003, repeating the reasons set out in the decision of 24 December 2002. The first applicant and his counsel were present at the hearing. 25.  On 11 March 2003 the Volgograd Regional Court upheld the decision on appeal. It endorsed the reasoning of the District Court. The first applicant was not brought to the courtroom, whereas his counsel and the prosecutor were present. 26.  On 16 April 2003 the investigation was completed and the case was sent for trial before the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court. 27.  On 30 April 2003 the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court decided to join the first applicant's case and the cases of his four accomplices, found that the case should be examined by a single judge and fixed the first trial hearing for 14 May 2003. It further ordered that the defendants should remain in custody. 28.  On 27 May 2003 the Volgograd Regional Court quashed the decision of 30 April 2003, finding that the District Court had unlawfully refused to have the case examined by a bench of three judges. 29.  On 2 June 2003 the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court decided to join the first applicant's case and the cases of his four accomplices, ordered that the case be examined by a bench comprising a professional judge and two lay judges and fixed the first trial hearing for 10 June 2003. It further held that the defendants should remain in custody. 30.  On an unspecified date a judicial bench consisting of a presiding judge and two lay judges, Ms G. and Mr R., was formed. 31.  The hearing of 10 June 2003 was adjourned until 18 June 2003 because counsel for the first applicant did not appear. According to the applicants, counsel Mr D. was not notified of the date of the hearing. 32.  On 11 June 2003 counsel for the first applicant lodged an appeal against the decision of 2 June 2003. The case file was forwarded to the Volgograd Regional Court and the hearing of 18 June 2003 was cancelled. 33.  On 15 July 2003 the Volgograd Regional Court upheld the decision of 2 June 2003 on appeal. 34.  On 31 July 2003 the case file was returned to the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court. The District Court scheduled the next trial hearing for 26 August 2003. 35.  The hearing of 26 August 2003 was adjourned until 27 August 2003 because counsel for the first applicant did not appear. According to the applicants, counsel Mr D. was not notified of the date of the hearing. 36.  The Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court held trial hearings on 27 and 28 August and 2, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25 and 30 September 2003. 37.  On 1 October 2003 the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court convicted the first applicant of aggravated robbery and sentenced him to nine years' imprisonment. 38.  The first applicant appealed. In particular, he complained that the composition of the trial bench had been unlawful because Ms G. and Mr R. did not appear on the official list of lay judges. He enclosed an officially published list of lay judges of the Krasnoarmeyskiy District of Volgograd. 39.  On 9 December 2003 the Volgograd Regional Court ordered an inquiry into the first applicant's complaint about the allegedly unlawful composition of the trial court. On 8 January 2004 the Administrative Department of the Supreme Court concluded that the trial bench had been composed lawfully. Ms G. and Mr R. appeared on the list of lay judges of the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court. 40.  On 17 February 2004 the Volgograd Regional Court upheld the conviction on appeal and reduced the sentence to seven years and six months' imprisonment. It found that the trial bench had been composed lawfully. The first applicant's counsel was present at the appeal hearing but the first applicant himself had not been brought to the courtroom. He remained in the remand centre and followed the proceedings through a videoconference system. 41.  The applicants submitted a copy of a judgment of the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court delivered in an unrelated civil case on 31 January 2003. It follows from the judgment that Ms G. acted as a lay judge in the proceedings. The applicants also submitted an affidavit by a former employee of the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court who testified that Ms G. had been employed by the court for at least five years and received a salary. 42.  The Government submitted a copy of the list of judges of the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court approved by the Volgograd Regional Legislature on 2 July 2002. The list mentioned Ms G. and Mr R. They also produced a certificate issued on 24 April 2007 by the acting president of the Krasnoarmeyskiy District Court, stating that Ms G. had never been employed by that court.