4.  The applicant is a Russian national, born in 1959 and living in the Perm Region. 5.  By a first instance judgment of 24 October 1997 the Perm Regional Court sentenced the applicant to nineteen years’ imprisonment for murder and rape. On 19 February 1998 the judgment was upheld by the Supreme Court and came into force. 6.  On 20 January 1999 the Regional Court reversed the conviction by reference to newly discovered circumstances and remitted the case for a fresh investigation to a prosecutor. On 8 February 1999 the prosecutor took a decision fully to acquit the applicant. 7.  Thereafter the applicant brought court proceedings against the State, claiming damages for the wrongful conviction and unlawful detention for twenty months. 8.  On 20 July 2001 the Lysva Town Court of the Perm Region examined and granted his action. The court took account of the circumstances of the criminal proceedings against the applicant and his conviction, including total length of his remand in custody which was of one year, eight months and twenty one days, and related after-effects, such as personal anxiety, anguish and feeling of isolation. The applicant was awarded RUR 70,000 (~2,740 euros) in damages to be paid by the Ministry of Finance. 9.  On 11 September 2001 the decision was upheld by the Perm Regional Court and came into force. 10.  On an unspecified date the applicant obtained an execution writ and forwarded it, together with supporting documents, to the bailiffs’ service. By two letters of 30 March and 21 May 2001 the bailiffs refused to institute enforcement proceedings and returned the writ and documents to the applicant. They stated, in particular, that under the legislation in force execution writs issued against the State should be submitted directly to the Ministry of Finance (see the relevant domestic law section below). 11.  The applicant followed the instruction and applied to the said Ministry. Upon receipt of the documents on 13 November 2001, the Ministry discovered that the address and details of the debtor in the writ had been mistaken. By a letter of 2 June 2002 the Ministry returned the documents to the applicant. 12.  Having obtained an amended writ from the court, on 3 October 2002 the applicant re-submitted the documents. They reached the Ministry on 11 October 2002. By a letter of 4 June 2003 the Ministry informed the applicant that the new writ was invalid in that it did not contain a submission period and again returned him the documents. 13.  On 20 June 2003 the applicant sent off the documents and 15 October 2003 the Ministry of Finance transferred him the money due pursuant to the decisions of 20 July and 11 September 2001.