4.  The applicant was born in 1956 and lives in Listvennoye, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea (“the ARC”). 5.  On 16 August 1995 criminal proceedings were instituted in which the applicant was accused of having negligently caused a traffic accident resulting in a human death. 6.  On 13 November 1995 the applicant was placed under an undertaking not to abscond. 7.  On 22 November 1995 the applicant was committed for trial. 8.  On 14 May 1996 the Sovetsky District Court of the ARC (Совєтський районний суд Автономної республіки Крим) found that during the pre-trial proceedings the rights of the defence had not been respected and ordered an additional investigation. 9.  On 12 May 1997 the applicant was committed for trial. 10.  On 22 August 1997 the judge remanded the applicant in custody. 11.  On 2 October 1997 the applicant was arrested and placed in custody. The applicant requested release, removal of the trial judge and the transfer of his case to another court. 12.  On 25 November 1997, following the applicant’s request, the case was remitted to the Nyzhniegirsky District Court of the ARC (Нижнєгірський районний суд Автономної республіки Крим). 13.  On 20 January 1998 the Nyzhniegirsky District Court remitted the case for an additional investigation and ordered the applicant’s release under an undertaking not to abscond. 14.  On 11 February 1998 the Supreme Court of the ARC (Верховний суд Автономної республіки Крим) allowed an appeal by the prosecution against the above decision and remitted the case to the Nyzhniegirsky District Court for a fresh consideration. 15.  On 18 May 1999 the Nyzhnyegirsky District Court acquitted the applicant of the charges. The court found that the expert opinions produced by the prosecution were insufficient to prove the applicant’s guilt. On the same day the court issued a separate ruling to the effect that the police accident report of 13 August 1995 produced to the court had been forged. 16.  On 22 June 1999 the Supreme Court of the ARC quashed the judgment and the separate ruling of 18 May 1999 and remitted the case to the first-instance court for a fresh consideration. 17.  In July 1999 the applicant requested suspension of the proceedings on the ground that he had lodged requests with the competent authorities to challenge the ruling of 22 June 1999 by way of a supervisory protest. The proceedings were suspended. By September 1999 the applicant’s requests for a supervisory protest were rejected. 18.  In July 2000 the hearings resumed. 19.  On 3 November 2000 the Nyzhniegirsky District Court remitted the case for an additional investigation. 20.  On 15 February 2001 the Supreme Court of the ARC quashed this decision and remitted the case to the Kirovsky District Court (Кіровський районний суд Автономної республіки Крим) for examination on the merits. 21.  On 26 March 2001 the Kirovsky District Court found the applicant guilty as charged. The applicant was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. However, in accordance with the Amnesty Act of 1998, he was released from punishment. The court also lifted the applicant’s undertaking not to abscond. 22.  On 12 July 2001 the Supreme Court of the ARC dismissed an appeal by the applicant. 23.  On 21 February 2002 the Supreme Court of Ukraine rejected a request by the applicant for leave to appeal in cassation.