Egypt "jails" Saudi princess

A court in Egypt has sentenced a Saudi princess to three years in prison with hard labour over the theft of jewellery worth more than a million dollars.

The accused, Princess Hind al Fassi -- who was tried in her absence -- is married to a brother of the Saudi ruler, King Fahd.

She's lived with her entourage at a luxury Cairo hotel for ten years and has repeatedly ignored court summonses.

The princess, who's said still to be in Egypt, has ten days in which to appeal. A year ago she was sentenced to a year in jail for stealing two million dollars from a financial advisor, but police didn't arrest her.

Opposition groups in Egypt say the authorities are reluctant to take action against members of the Saudi royal family, as Saudi Arabia is such a close ally.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service