4.  The applicant was born in 1966 and lives in Barnaul. 5.  The applicant is a former President of a private commercial bank and the owner of several businesses in Barnaul. 6.  On 27 November 1997 criminal proceedings were opened against him on suspicion of fraud. 7.  On 27 November 1997 the applicant was arrested and detained pending trial. 8.  On 5 December 1997 charges were brought against the applicant. 9.  In 1998-1999 the applicant’s detention was extended on several occasions. 10.  On 21 April 1999 the pre-trial investigation ended and the applicant was allowed to examine the case file which was made up of 145 volumes – 9 of which contained the summons of the victims, 6 volumes contained accounting documents and 118 volumes contained the statements of the victims (seven thousand and thirty-six clients of the bank). A deadline of 8 November 1999 was given for the reading of the file. As the applicant had not managed to read all the volumes by the given deadline, the time was extended to 12 November 1999. No further extensions were granted. 11.  On 5 January 2000 the trial commenced. 12.  The applicant asked the court to send the case file back to the investigator due to the numerous alleged procedural violations and the lack of sufficient time given for the examination of the file. On 22 February 2000 his request was granted. However, on 30 March 2000 this decision was quashed and the case was remitted for fresh consideration. No further documents concerning the outcome of these proceedings are enclosed in the file. 13.  On 15 June 2001 the applicant was released on bail due to the expiration of the time-limits for his pre-trial detention pending court examination. By that time he spent over three and a half years in detention. 14.  On 18 November 2002 the applicant was again detained within the same proceedings as a result of his alleged attempts to influence witnesses. He appealed against the detention order, and on 9 January 2003 the Altay Regional Court ordered the applicant’s release on bail. 15.  According to the Government, during the period from January 2000 to January 2003 the hearings were adjourned on 38 occasions due to reasons outside the authorities’ control, such as illnesses of the applicant and his lawyers, their requests for additional examinations, the lawyers of the applicant and his three co-accused being occupied in unrelated proceedings, untimely arrivals of victims and witnesses and the need to examine petitions lodged by the applicant for review of the alleged violations committed during the expert examinations. The Government submitted that the proceedings were adjourned due to the court’s actions on one occasion only, i.e. from 13 to 20 January 2003, the presiding judge being on a regular holiday leave. 16.  As it appears from the Government’s submissions, no actions were taken by the domestic courts during the periods from 30 March to 31 July 2000, from 10 September 2001 to 11 March 2002 and from 30 September 2002 to 13 January 2003. 17.  On 30 May 2003 the Oktyabrskiy District Court of Barnaul convicted the applicant, along with three other accused, of unlawful banking transactions, unlawful business undertakings, fraud and breach of professional discretion and sentenced him to thirteen years’ imprisonment with forfeiture of property. The applicant was taken into custody direct from the courtroom. 18.  On 13 November 2003 the appeal hearing commenced. However, the applicant felt unwell and the hearing was postponed until 14 November 2003. 19.  By final judgment of 14 November 2003 the Altay Regional Court reduced the sentence to twelve years with a fine and forfeiture of property. During the appeal hearing the applicant injured himself and was taken out of the court room to receive medical help. The hearing was suspended. After the wound had been treated and it was established that the applicant was fit for trial, he refused to return to the court room. The hearing proceeded in the presence of the applicant’s lawyer. 20.  On 6 February 2004 the Rubtsovskiy Town Court brought the applicant’s sentence into compliance with changes that had been introduced into Russian legislation in December 2003. The sentence was reduced to ten years’ imprisonment and a fine. 21.  On 13 October 2004 the Rubtsovskiy Town Court ordered the applicant’s conditional early release.