Moscow - Prosecutors called for the dismissal of the judge in the trial of three men for the murder of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya, Russian news agencies reported Tuesday.

Evgeny Zubov, the presiding judge at a Moscow Military Court, has been accused by Russia's General Prosecutor's office of "bias," a participant told the Interfax news agency.

Zubov has been embroiled in controversy ever since he ruled last week that the trial should be closed to the public and media representatives.

Jurors in the Politkovskaya trial were called back a week earlier than planned Tuesday to decide procedural issues, a spokesman for the Moscow Military Court said earlier. (dpa)