A New Cairo Misdemeanour Court sentenced a swimming pool lifeguard to six months in prison for "negligence" that resulted in the drowning of an American University in Cairo (AUC) student last week.

The sentence, which can still be appealed, comes only days after the unnamed lifeguard at the New Cairo campus was referred to court over the death of 22 year-old Ahmed Mohamed Abdel-Aziz after he was found unconscious in the pool late in the evening of Monday, 19 February.

Abdel-Aziz was transferred to a New Cairo hospital in a coma, but passed away early the next day.

The university has ordered the pool area closed until further notice and has lowered its flags to half-mast in mourning.