5.  The applicant was born in 1952 and lives in Vilnius, Lithuania. 6.  The applicant, a retired serviceman, considered himself eligible to receive child allowance payable by the Russian Federation to parents with minor children. 7.  On 15 January 2003 he applied for the allowance to the social security division of the embassy of the Russian Federation in Vilnius, Lithuania. 8.  On 20 January 2003 the social security division refused his request. They noted that the applicant, being a permanent resident of Lithuania, was not eligible to receive the allowance. 9.  On an unspecified date the applicant challenged the decision of the social security division. He lodged a complaint before the Presnenskiy District Court of Moscow. 10.  On 29 April 2003 the District Court dismissed the applicant’s complaint without consideration on the merits. In particular, the court ruled as follows:
“This statement of claim cannot be admitted for consideration by the Presnenskiy District Court of Moscow given that it was submitted in contradiction of the rules of procedure on jurisdiction ... Pursuant to the applicable legislation ..., the claims are to be submitted to the court with jurisdiction over the region where the claimant resides or where the State authority ... whose action is challenged is located.
Pursuant to the [applicant’s] statement, the respondent authority in the case is the social security division of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Lithuanian Republic whose registered address is in [Vilnius, Lithuania], that is, a region outside the jurisdiction of the Presnenskiy District Court of Moscow.
The applicant resides in [Vilnius, Lithuania], which is also not within the jurisdiction of the Presnenskiy District Court of Moscow.
Having regard to the fact that [the applicant] has no ground to introduce his statement of claim before the Presnenskiy District Court of Moscow and in compliance with Articles 24-27 and 254 § 2 of the Russian Code of Civil Procedure, the court hereby
RULES
that the statement of the claims be returned to [the applicant] and he be advised to lodge it before the relevant court in Vilnius, Republic of Lithuania.” 11.  On 30 July 2003 the Moscow City Court upheld the decision of 29 April 2003 on appeal reiterating the reasoning of the District Court.