An Egyptian engineer accused of spying for Israel has been acquitted by a state security court in Cairo.

But his fellow defendant, a Russian man whose whereabouts are unknown, was found guilty and sentenced in absentia to 25 years' hard labour.

The court said the Egyptian, Sherif Fawzi Mohamed al-Filali, 35, could not be found guilty because he had approached the authorities with his suspicions about the Russian, Gregory Cevets.

Egyptian prosecutors had claimed Mr al-Filali received $5,000 in return for supplying information about Egypt's tourist and agriculture industry to the Russian, who in turn was alleged to be an agent for Mossad, Israel's secret service.

Duress

But Mr al-Filali's lawyers said his confession to having taken the money was extracted under duress during a three-month detention by Egyptian security forces.

Correspondents say his acquittal was unexpected and could have been politically influenced.

The case has stirred nationalist feelings in Egypt, where the idea of Israeli spying is very sensitive.

Israel has denied any dealings with either of the accused.

The case comes less than a month after the jailing of an American-Egyptian civil right activist Saadeddin Ibrahim, who was given a seven-year sentence for defaming Egypt's reputation.

The United States and the European Commission - the executive arm of the European Union - have expressed concern about that ruling.