Sweden has deported to Egypt two men accused of belonging to illegal Islamist groups after rejecting their applications for political asylum.

A Swedish Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Gun Britt Andersson, is quoted as saying there was clear evidence they had had leading positions in organisations that had committed terrorist acts.

Sweden says Egypt has given assurances that the men will be treated fairly and not face torture or the death penalty.

A leading Egyptian Islamist lawyer, Montasser al Zayat, named the men as Mohamed Ibrahim al-Zarie and Ahmed Agiza.

Agiza is one of Egypt's most wanted men. In 1999 he was convicted in his absence of terrorist activities and sentenced to 25 years in jail.

The human rights organisation Amnesty International complained that the forced repatriations violate Sweden's obligations under international agreements.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service