4.  The applicant was born in 1966 and lives in Ekaterinburg. 5.  On 27 May 1997 the applicant instituted proceedings to challenge his dismissal from employment. He also claimed payment of his salary in respect of the period of enforced unemployment and damages. 6.  On 13 October 1997 the Kirovskiy District Court of Ekaterinburg dismissed the applicant's claim. The applicant appealed against the judgment. 7.  On 23 December 1997 the Sverdlovsk Regional Court quashed the judgment and remitted the case for a fresh examination. A new hearing on the merits was fixed for 4 March 1998. 8.  Between 4 March 1998 and 8 September 1998 the hearing was postponed four times because of the parties' failure to appear. 9.  Between 8 September 1998 and 21 December 1998 the hearing was postponed three times because of the defendant's failure to appear. 10.  Between 21 December 1998 and 17 May 1999 the hearing was postponed three times: once for less than two months because of the parties' failure to appear and twice for an overall period of over three months because the judge was absent on sick leave. 11.  On 17 May 1999 the hearing was postponed to 23 August 1999 because the judge was engaged in unrelated proceedings. 12.  On 23 August 1999 the hearing was postponed to 26 August 1999 at the applicant's request, so that the court could obtain additional evidence. 13.  On 26 August 1999 the Kirovskiy District Court of Ekaterinburg partially granted the applicant's claim. The applicant was not provided with a copy of the judgment.  On 24 February 2000 and 10 April 2000 he filed two complaints about the failure to provide him with a copy of the judgment, to the Kirovskiy District Court of Ekaterinburg and to the Chairman of the Sverdlovsk Regional Court respectively. 14.  On 28 April 2000 the Chairman of the Kirovskiy District Court of Ekaterinburg sent him a copy of the judgment.  On an unspecified date the applicant appealed against the judgment. 15.  On 20 June 2000 the Sverdlovsk Regional Court quashed the judgment of 26 August 1999 on appeal and remitted the case for a fresh examination. A new hearing on the merits was fixed for 18 December 2000. 16.  On 18 December 2000 the hearing was postponed to 21 February 2001 at the applicant's request. 17.  On 21 February 2001 the hearing was postponed to 25 April 2001 because of the parties' failure to appear. 18.  Between 25 April 2001 and 23 October 2001 the hearing was postponed twice at the defendant's request. 19.  On 23 October 2001 the hearing was postponed to 4 January 2002 because the judge was absent on sick leave.  A new date for the hearing was then fixed for 10 January 2002. 20.  On 10 January 2002 the hearing was postponed to 31 January 2002 on account of the parties' failure to appear. On 31 January 2002 a new hearing was fixed for 5 March 2002. The hearing was then postponed to 27 March 2002 because the court ordered the applicant to submit a clarified statement of claim. 21.  On 27 March 2002 the Kirovskiy District Court of Ekaterinburg declared the applicant's dismissal unlawful, ordered that he be paid his salary in respect of the period of enforced unemployment and partially granted the claim for damages. The applicant appealed against the judgment. 22.  On 20 June 2002 the Sverdlovsk Regional Court reversed the judgment in the part relating to the payment of the applicant's salary on the grounds that the trial court had miscalculated it, and remitted the case for a fresh examination. A new hearing on the merits was fixed for 16 October 2002. 23.  Between 16 October 2002 and 30 December 2003 the hearing was postponed three times for an overall period of ten months because the judge was engaged in unrelated proceedings and once for a period of over four months because of the defendant's failure to appear.  It appears that no hearing took place on 30 December 2003. A new date for the hearing was fixed for 26 March 2004. 24.  On 26 March 2004 the hearing was postponed to 22 April 2004 because of the defendant's failure to appear. The court filed a number of requests to establish the defendant's whereabouts. 25.  On 22 April 2004 the Kirovskiy District Court of Ekaterinburg terminated the proceedings concerning the applicant's claim due to the liquidation of the defendant company.