Egypt's president has acknowledged for the first time that the heavy sentences handed down to three al-Jazeera journalists had a "very negative" impact on his country's reputation, saying he wished they had never been put on trial.

The comments by Abdel Fatah al-Sisi to Egyptian media editors, published late on Sunday, are the first public recognition by Egyptian officials that the case has damaged the country's international relations.

The sentencing of the Australian reporter Peter Greste, Egyptian-Canadian acting bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed on 23 June, after a five-month trial described as a "sham" by rights groups, caused an international outcry.

"The verdict issued against a number of journalists had very negative consequences, and we had nothing to do with it," Sisi said, suggesting it had no political element. "I wished they were deported immediately after their arrest instead of being put on trial."

His comments were published in the online version of Al-Masry Al-Youm daily.

Greste's brother Andrew, who has just returned from Egypt, welcomed Sisi's comments as "heartening".

"I'm sure images of Peter in the cage in the court are not images Egypt really want distributed around the world," he told reporters in Brisbane. "And the publicity they're getting out of this I'm sure is not the publicity any country would want."

He said he was not sure if the president's comments would lead to a resolution, with Sisi previously saying he would not interfere in the judicial process.

"I'd like to think that there's things happening at all levels ... and everyone can talk about it and seek an amicable solution," Andrew Greste said.

The journalists were arrested on 29 December and accused of aiding the Brotherhood by providing it with a media platform and equipment. The Egyptians were also accused of belonging to the Brotherhood, the group the government declared a terrorist organisation. Greste and Fahmy each received seven-year sentences, while Mohammed got 10 years. Three other foreign journalists were sentenced to 10 years in absentia.

The US secretary of state, John Kerry, called the sentences "chilling and draconian", and urged Egyptian authorities to address international concerns. A day after the sentences and following an outpouring of international condemnation, Sisi appeared to resist the pressure, saying in televised comments he would not interfere in court rulings.

The sentences can be appealed, a process that can take months. Egypt's constitution allows the president to issue a pardon, but experts argue the appeals process must be exhausted first.

In his remarks published on Sunday, he said the case represented one foreign policy challenge facing Egypt, but stopped short of saying whether he would listen to pleas for clemency. He seemed to be refuting claims that the case was politically motivated, and reflected tension between Egypt and Qatar, the Gulf state that owns the television network.



Qatar supported the ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, and his Muslim Brotherhood group. After Morsi's overthrow last year, many of the group's leaders moved to Qatar to avoid an intense government crackdown that landed thousands in jail.