An Egyptian court has sentenced Ayman Nur, an opposition politician and former presidential candidate, to five years in jail on forgery charges.

President Husni Mubarak showed Egyptians a rare personal side in the first part of a six-hour interview aired on state television, in a move ahead of the country's first multi-candidate presidential elections in May. 

Egypt has released on bail Ayman Nur, an opposition leader detained since the end of January and whose jailing aroused Washington's concern.