Don't remind me of Christmas, pleads engineer jailed in Egypt

A former Hong Kong man jailed in Egypt on suspicion of murdering his wife has sent a message to friends asking them not to send him Christmas cards as he awaits a possible verdict this week.

Engineering executive Fabrice Belhomme has said he does not want to be reminded of this time of year and says it will be easier for him to cope if he just treats Christmas as any other day.

The 45-year-old Frenchman, who moved to Egypt from Hong Kong with his family in 2002, has been in prison since May, when his wife Florence was found stabbed to death in their luxury home in Alexandria.

Belhomme, supported by his wife's family in France, has protested his innocence throughout. Police allege that Belhomme stabbed his wife repeatedly with a kitchen knife and then staged a break-in, claiming she was killed as she lay in bed by intruders who broke into the house and demanded the keys to the safe.

A verdict could be announced at the next hearing on Christmas Eve, although previous hearings have ended without a decision. Judges have already heard evidence in the trial. If convicted, he could face the death penalty under Egyptian law.

In an e-mail to friends, his brother Emmanuel Belhomme said messages of support had helped his brother cope with the living conditions in the cell he shares with two Libyans.