4.  Mr Sergey Vodopyanov (hereafter “the first applicant”) and Mrs Alyena Vodopyanova (hereafter “the second applicant”), are husband and wife, who were born in 1964 and 1971 respectively and live in Ingulskoye, the Kirovograd region. 5.  In August 1998, the first applicant (a former Deputy Chief of the Ustinovskaya Prison no. 37 – Устіновська виправна колонія № 37 – hereafter “the UP”) was dismissed from the Ministry of Interior. Upon retirement, the applicant was entitled to the reimbursement of his food ration expenses. As this compensation remained unpaid for two years, the first applicant instituted proceedings in the Ustinovska City Court (hereafter “the City Court”) against the UP, seeking recovery of the debt and compensation for the delay in payment of his salary. 6.  On 1 August 2000 the court awarded the first applicant UAH 594[1] for the food ration debt, whilst rejecting the other claims. On 14 August 2000 the Ustinovska City Bailiffs’ Service (hereafter “the Bailiffs’ Service”) instituted enforcement proceedings in respect of this judgment. 7.  On 26 March 2001 the Kirovograd Regional Department of Justice informed the first applicant that the judgment in his favour could not be immediately executed due to the lack of funds in the debtor’s account. 8.  On 18 September 2003 the execution proceedings were terminated on the ground that the award had been fully paid to the first applicant. However, the subsequent inquiry by the higher Bailiffs’ authority revealed that, due to the mistake of the UP’s accountant, the applicant had been underpaid UAH 50[2]. The enforcement proceedings were reopened and on 3 February 2005 the remaining amount was transferred from the UP to the Bailiffs’ Service. On 18 February 2005 the first applicant was notified about the availability of this money and requested to provide his banking details. On 27 May 2005 the Bailiffs’ Service, having received no reply from the first applicant, sent him a postal money order, which has been collected by the applicant. On 31 May 2005 the proceedings were terminated as the judgment of 1 August 2000 had been enforced in full. 9.  In October 2000 the second applicant retired from the position as a kitchen worker at the UP. Immediately upon the retirement she instituted proceedings against the UP, claiming salary arrears. On 13 February 2001 the Ustinovska City Court awarded the second applicant UAH 3,864[3]. On the same date the Bailiffs’ Service instituted enforcement proceedings in respect of this judgment. 10.  On 15 March 2002 the Kirovograd Regional Department of Justice informed the second applicant that the judgment in her favour could not be immediately executed due to the lack of funds in the debtor’s account. The Department also indicated that the enforcement proceedings were impeded by the moratorium on the forced sale of the capital assets of State-owned entities. 11.  On 29 June 2004 the execution proceedings were terminated as the award had been fully paid to the second applicant.
b.  Enforcement of the judgment of 9 September 2004 12.  In July 2004 the second applicant instituted proceedings against the UP seeking to receive her average pay for the period of delay in the payment of her salary arrears. On 9 September 2004 the Ustinovska City Court granted this claim and ordered the UP to pay the second applicant UAH 4,517.94[4]. On 12 October 2004 the Bailiffs’ Service instituted enforcement proceedings in respect of this judgment. 13.  On 20 October 2004 the Bailiffs’ Service undertook an inquiry to establish whether the UP had any seizable assets and, as it did not, on 3 February 2005 it levied the UP’s bank account. 14.  On 24 March 2005 the award was paid in full to the second applicant.