An Egyptian court gave jail terms to 43 Americans, Europeans, Egyptians and other Arabs yesterday.

The case has plunged US-Egyptian ties into their worst crisis in decades.

In a case against democracy groups dating from 2011, Judge Makram Awad gave five-year sentences in absentia to at least 15 US citizens who left Egypt last year, and to citizens of Norway, Serbia, Germany and Arab states.

American Robert Becker, a former National Democratic Institute worker who stayed in Egypt, and a German woman were each sentenced to two years in prison. Eleven Egyptians were handed one-year suspended sentences and the non-governmental organisations involved were closed.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said: "The course taken by the Egyptian judiciary is very worrying. It weakens civil society as an important pillar of democracy in the new democratic Egypt."

There was no immediate comment from the US Government.

Despite the furore over the case, the US released its annual military aid for Egypt in March 2012, saying US national security required continued assistance.

The closed groups were training Egyptians in advocacy and voter education.