MOSCOW - A Moscow court on Monday threw out a case against two Russian Orthodox believers accused of vandalizing an exhibition on religion at a museum named after Soviet-era dissident Andrei Sakharov, ruling that there was no indication thy committed a crime, Russian media reports said.

Mikhail Lyukshin and Anatoly Zyakin were among a group of six people accused of severely defacing an exhibition called "Caution: Religion" at Moscow's Sakharov Museum in January, saying it offended their religious feelings. Vandals smeared artworks with paint, wrote on the walls and destroyed installations.

The pair were detained and charged with hooliganism. Their lawyer said the charge was unfounded, arguing that his clients were reacting against an exhibition they felt incited religious hostility, the Echo of Moscow radio station reported. The district court accepted the complaint and threw out the case against the two men.

NTV television showed footage of a large crowd of Russian Orthodox believers who had gathered outside the court during Monday's hearing. According to Echo of Moscow, people in the crowd were handing out fliers demanding the museum be tried for offending religious sensibilities.

The exhibition dealt with issues such as religious fundamentalism and church-state relations, and the title reflected the need to be cautious and respectful in matters of faith, director Yuri Samodurov said.

Orthodox Christianity is Russia's dominant religion.

Samodurov said he was surprised by the court's decision. He said he fears that authorities will soon shut the Sakharov Museum, which aims to promote democracy and human rights, because of its stance on Russia's war in Chechnya.