8.  The applicant was born in Orenburg, Russia, in 1954. He currently resides in Simferopol, the Crimea. 9.  In 1984 the applicant was convicted of attempted rape. However, he was exempted from serving his sentence on the grounds of diminished responsibility and underwent compulsory medical treatment in a psychiatric hospital from 1984 to 1986. 10.  On 9 September 1990 the applicant again attempted to commit rape. 11.  On 9 April 1991 the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Simferopol (the “Zheleznodorozhny Court”) ordered the applicant to undergo compulsory medical treatment in a psychiatric hospital under close supervision. This decision was not appealed and became final. He was detained in the Dnepropetrovsk Specialised Psychiatric Hospital. 12.  On 24 November 1997 the psychiatric commission recommended that the applicant be transferred to a hospital with strict supervision (a higher level than the previous one). 13.  On 2 December 1997 the Krasnogvardejsky District Court of Dnepropetrovsk allowed the petition lodged by the chief psychiatrist of the Dnepropetrovsk Regional Health Department. It quashed the decision of 9 April 1991, but decided that the applicant should continue to undergo compulsory medical treatment under close supervision. This resolution was not appealed and became final. 14.  From 11 September to 14 December 1997 the applicant remained in detention in the Dnepropetrovsk Specialised Psychiatric Hospital under close supervision. 15.  From 15 December 1997 until 20 January 1999 the applicant was under compulsory medical treatment with close supervision in the Crimean Republican Psychiatric Hospital (the “CRPH”). 16.  On 17 December 1998 the CRPH lodged a request with the Zheleznodorozhny Court that the applicant’s regime be reduced to ordinary supervision. 17.  On 6 January 1999 the Zheleznodorozhny Court decided that the applicant should be placed under ordinary supervision in the psychiatric hospital since his behaviour had improved. 18.  On 12 July 1999 the Zheleznodorozhny Court refused an application by the Chief Psychiatrist of the Ministry of Health of the Crimea (the “Chief Psychiatrist”), based on a medical report dated 3 June 1999, to terminate the applicant’s compulsory medical treatment since his state of health had improved. In particular, it referred to the gravity of the offence committed by the applicant. 19.  On 19 August 1999 the applicant’s lawyer lodged a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court of the Crimea. On 30 August 1999 this court upheld the decision of 12 July 1999. In particular, it ruled that the requests for release were unsubstantiated as the applicant had not fully recovered from his mental illness. 20.  On 14 March 2000 the Zheleznodorozhny Court rejected a further application by the Chief Psychiatrist lodged on the basis of the conclusions of the applicant’s medical examination on 13 January 2000, as being unsubstantiated. 21.  On 20 March 2000, the applicant’s lawyer lodged an appeal in cassation with the Supreme Court of the Crimea. On 4 April 2000 the court upheld the decision. 22.  On 10 July 2000 the Chief Psychiatrist lodged another application with the Central District Court of Simferopol (the “Central Court”) seeking to quash the compulsory medical treatment of the applicant and to transfer him to a regime of ordinary supervision. On 1 September 2000 the Central Court rejected this application for lack of substantiation and, on 31 October 2000, the Supreme Court of the Crimea upheld that decision. 23.  On 15 March 2001 the psychiatrist of the CRPH lodged an application with the Zheleznodorozhny Court seeking to quash the compulsory medical treatment imposed on the applicant. He also requested that the court order the applicant’s transfer to an ordinary supervisory regime. On 7 May 2001 the Central Court rejected this application as unsubstantiated. In particular, it noted the gravity of the crime committed by the applicant and the fact that he was a repetitive offender. The court further held that the conclusions of the medical commission were insufficient to quash the compulsory treatment measure. 24.  On 21 September 2001 the Head of the Medical Department of the CRPH lodged an application with the Zheleznodorozhny Court, seeking to end the compulsory medical treatment of the applicant and to transfer him to a regime of ordinary supervision. 25.  On 23 October 2001 the Zheleznodorozhny Court allowed the application and decided that treatment could be given to the applicant under ordinary supervision, since his state of health had improved. The resolution of 23 October 2001 was not appealed and became final. 26.  The applicant was released from the psychiatric hospital on 8 November 2001.