An Egyptian misdemeanour court sentenced to jail on Sunday a former chief editor of Al-Ahram daily newspaper for assaulting a female journalist while in office last year, a judicial source said.

Abdel-Nasser Salama was sentenced to four months in jail for slapping and insulting Al-Ahram journalist Sahar Abdel-Rahman during an in-house protest last July by dozens of employees calling for his removal.

He was also fined LE5,000 for libel and ordered to pay LE10,000 in compensation, the source added.

Salama's position as chief editor was challenged by Al-Ahram's general assembly, which attempted to remove him from the post following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last summer.

He was accused by some employees of having links to, and favouring, the then ruling Muslim Brotherhood movement.

Salama, who was removed in January, was initially acquitted of the charges before a prosecutor appealed the court decision.

Al-Ahram is Egypt's oldest and largest news organisation.