The trial of three men accused of murdering Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian investigative journalist, has been adjourned for 10 days, adding to growing doubts about the transparency and fairness of one of Russia's highest profile cases.

The judge in the case cited a defence lawyer's scheduling conflicts as the reason for the adjournment, even though the lawyer said that this was not the case.

Meanwhile, a juror has denied that the jury asked for the media to be stopped from attending the trial at the Moscow district military court.

A day earlier, the court barred news coverage, citing jurors' fears that the publicity could put them at risk.

Yevgeny Kolesov said on Thursday that it was the court that made the decision to bar the press, not the jurors.

Politkovskaya, aged 48 when she died, was a writer of books and articles that fiercely criticised Vladimir Putin, the then Russian president, notably for abuses committed by Russian forces during the second Chechen war, which took place under his watch.

Her killing, as she returned home carrying bags of groceries from a shopping trip, sparked outrage internationally and among opposition groups in Russia, with some critics pointing the finger of blame at the Russian leadership.