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Bomb threat at Pussy Riot trial

People have been evacuated from the building of the Moscow Khamovnichesky district court

MOSCOW, August 2 (Itar-Tass) — People have been evacuated from the building of the Moscow Khamovnichesky district court where the Pussy Riot punk band is standing trial on charges of hooliganism.

"We are asking everyone to leave the court building in connection with the ordered evacuation," court officials said. The causes will be announced later, they said.

Lawyer for the Pussy Riot band Mark Feigin told journalists that the evacuation was ordered following an anonymous telephone call which said that an explosive device was planted in the court building.

Prior to the evacuation the judge, Marina Syrova who is presiding at the sensational trial, had been challenged a fifth time by the defendants' lawyers since the trial began.

The court building is being searched, which might take around an hour. If the bomb threat proves false court hearings will be resumed in a schedule regime, said spokeswoman for the Khamovnichesky court Darya Lyach.