An Egyptian human rights activist, Saad Eddine Ibrahim, has said he will appeal against the seven-year prison term he was given on Monday.

His wife said his defence team believed it had excellent grounds to challenge the sentence.

Mr Ibrahim, a high-profile critic of the authorities, was charged with tarnishing Egypt's image, accepting foreign money without government approval, and embezzling funds.

The United States has said it is deeply troubled by the sentence, while the human rights group Amnesty International called the sentence alarming.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service