MOSCOW, December 7 - RAPSI. The State Duma has developed a draft law aimed at limiting the rights of journalists to report on trials by granting judges the right to close any trial to the press at their own discretion, Izvestia daily reported.

Currently, judges are only entitled to order journalists to leave the room if they pose a hindrance to the trial. Only trials dealing with state secrets are held behind closed doors.

"The bill is expected to be officially submitted to the committee in the nearest future," Vadim Solovyov, the deputy head of the Duma's Committee on Constitutional Legislation, said.

Both the Communist Party and A Just Russia party have objected to the idea.

United Russia and the Liberal Democratic Party refuse to discuss the bill before its official submission.

"We need to deal with more important issues in Russian legal proceedings, such as total system reform. Limiting communication will not help this," says expert Kirill Koktysh.

However, Alexei Mukhin, director general of the Center of Political Information, believes that it is necessary to regulate the procedure for covering trials.

He gave the example of the Pussy Riot trial, during which the court endured an enormous media presence.