An Egyptian court sentenced a hardline Islamist former presidential hopeful to one year in prison yesterday for insulting the court, state news agency MENA reported.

Salafist preacher Hazem Salah Abu Ismail is on trial for fraud in a case related to presidential elections in 2012 which brought the now ousted president Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood to power.

Abu Ismail, who has links to the Brotherhood, was disqualified from that election over reports his late mother held a US passport. Election rules state both a candidate's parents must hold only Egyptian citizenship.