4.  The applicant was born in 1983 and lives in Sagan-Nur in the Buryatia Republic. 5.  On 10 May 1998 the applicant, then fifteen years of age, was arrested. On 12 May 1998 he was charged with causing grievous bodily harm occasioning the death of the victim. On 13 May 1998 the prosecutor refused to admit Ms S as counsel and appointed another lawyer to represent the applicant. It appears that the applicant pleaded guilty, but later retracted his plea alleging that he had confessed under duress. After an inquiry into the matter, the investigator decided not to prosecute the officers. Apparently, the applicant did not contest this decision. 6.  In November 1998 the applicant was charged with murder. After the completion of the preliminary investigation on 13 November 1998, the case was listed for trial before the Mukhorshibirskiy District Court of the Buryatia Republic. On 24 November 1998 the District Court returned the case to the prosecutor for further investigation. On 19 January 1999 the investigation was suspended because a forensic report had been ordered. On the same date, the applicant was released but ordered to remain in town. 7.  The preliminary investigation was resumed in June 1999. On 15 July 1999 the prosecutor discontinued the criminal case against the applicant. This decision was quashed on 6 September 1999 and the proceedings were resumed. 8.  On 26 November 1999 the District Court again decided to return the criminal case to the prosecutor for further investigation. The applicant was placed in custody. On 11 January 2000 the Supreme Court of the Buryatia Republic quashed the decision of 26 November 1999. It appears that on 1 March 2000 another forensic report was ordered, and the applicant was released but ordered to remain in town. The forensic report was submitted to the trial court on 18 May 2000. 9.  On 23 June 2000 the District Court found the applicant guilty of murder and sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment. On the same day he was taken into custody. On 28 August 2000 the Supreme Court upheld the judgment. 10.  On 9 February 2001 the Presidium of the Supreme Court quashed the previous judgments by way of supervisory review because the applicant had not been properly served with a copy of the bill of indictment. A retrial was ordered. On 28 April 2001 the District Court convicted the applicant as charged and sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment. On 19 June 2001 the Supreme Court set this judgment aside on appeal and remitted the case for re-examination by the District Court. The appeal court established that the trial court had not properly assessed the evidence and had erred in its factual findings. 11.  On 14 September 2001 the District Court returned the case to the prosecutor for further investigation. It found, inter alia, that the prosecutor had unlawfully prevented the applicant’s counsel from representing him. It appears that the Supreme Court quashed this decision on 25 October 2001. 12.  On 28 November 2001 the District Court found the applicant guilty and sentenced him for a period of time corresponding to the one already served. The applicant was released on the same day. On 25 December 2001 the Supreme Court quashed the judgment of 28 November 2001 due to certain procedural defects and remitted the case for examination by another district court. 13.  On 11 March 2002 the Bichurskiy District Court of the Buryatia Republic found the applicant guilty of murder and sentenced him to six years’ imprisonment. The applicant was taken into custody. The Supreme Court upheld this judgment on 18 April 2002. On an unspecified date the applicant was released. 14.  Upon the applicant’s request, on 10 June 2005 the Presidium of the Supreme Court quashed the judgments of 11 March and 18 April 2002 by way of supervisory review for procedural irregularities and remitted the case to the Mukhorshibirskiy District Court. 15.  On 18 November 2005 the District Court acquitted the applicant. On 2 March 2006 the Supreme Court quashed the acquittal and ordered a retrial. 16.  By a decision of 29 March 2006 the President of the Supreme Court transferred the case for trial by the Tarbagatayskiy District Court of the Buryatia Republic. On 31 May 2006 the District Court discontinued the criminal proceedings against the applicant due to the expiry of the limitation period.