WASHINGTON, Feb 26: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is deferring an expected trip to Egypt next week following a dispute over a political prisoner.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a briefing in Washington on Friday Ms Rice was going to Egypt also to attend a meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized nations and the Arab League.

Last Sunday, the Egyptians decided to postpone the meeting, being held to promote democracy in the Middle East. The Egyptian decision forced Ms Rice to reconsider her schedule.

Media reports claimed the Egyptian decision was linked to Ms Rice's concerns over the Jan 29 detention of Ayman Nour, the head of the opposition Al Gahd party.

The US secretary of state had conveyed America's displeasure over Mr. Nour's arrest at a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Ghait when he visited Washington last week.