WASHINGTON, Dec 24: The United States called on Egypt on Saturday to free from detention Ayman Nour, saying the conviction of President Hosni Mubarak’s main challenger in the recent presidential elections cast doubt on Egypt’s commitment to democratic reform and the rule of law.

In a stiff rebuke to one of Washington’s closest Arab friends, President George Bush’s chief spokesman said the United States was deeply troubled that an Egyptian court had sentenced Ayman Nour to five years in jail on forgery charges earlier in the day.

“The conviction of Mr Nour, the runner-up in Egypt’s presidential elections, calls into question Egypt’s commitment to democracy, freedom, and the rule of law,” Scott McClellan, the spokesman, said in a statement.

“The United States calls upon the Egyptian government to act under the laws of Egypt in the spirit of its professed desire for increased political openness and dialogue within Egyptian society, and out of humanitarian concern, to release Mr Nour from detention,” Mr McClellan added.

Mr Nour, 41, is leader of the liberal Ghad Party. He said his trial was an attempt to remove him from politics. Mr Nour won eight per cent of the vote in the Sept 7 elections, second to President Mubarak with 89 per cent.

The State Department, in a separate statement, said Mr Nour’s trial had been ‘marred by irregularities and inconsistencies, and has failed to meet the international standards of transparency and respect for the rule of law that the Egyptian government has publicly espoused’.

It did not spell out the alleged irregularities.

Political reform is just one of several key issues in US-Egyptian relations — including security cooperation, intelligence-sharing and promoting peace, political reform and pluralism in the Arab world.

Egypt gets about $2 billion annually from the United States, including $1.3 billion in financing to buy US-made weapons, making it the second biggest recipient of US aid after Israel.

Mr McClellan said the United States also was disturbed by reports that Mr Nour’s health had seriously declined because of a hunger strike he launched two weeks ago to protest the conditions of his trial and detention.

The charges stem from Mr Nour’s application to set up the Ghad Party, which required hundreds of signatures, some of which the prosecution said were forged. —Reuters