Russia closes Politkovskaya trial to public

A man holds a portrait of slain journalist Anna Politkovskaya during a gathering on occasion of her birthday in Moscow in this August 30, 2007 file photo.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The trial of three people accused of being involved in the murder of Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya was closed to the public on Wednesday, a step that lawyers said could hinder justice being done.

The judge in the trial overturned an earlier ruling that the trial be held in public, saying jurors had refused to enter the court room in the presence of reporters, a lawyer for Politkovskaya's family told Reuters.

"From our point of view, they were simply afraid of fulfilling their duty," said lawyer Karina Moskalenko. "I am deeply frustrated because the decision cannot be appealed against," she said.

Lawyers for the three defendants and for Politkovskaya's family had pressed for the trial to be opened up to public scrutiny, saying that was the only way to ensure justice was done in the politically charged case.

"It is simply outrageous that they (the jurors) didn't even come out into the court room," Said Arsamirzayev, a lawyer for one of the accused, told reporters.

"We have all been treated like little kids: we were shown the candy and promised a fair and open trial but now we understand it is not going to be the case and we will have closed hearings," he said.

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Tim Pearce)