Sirhan Sirhan, the man convicted of the 1968 assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, was stabbed in prison on Friday, according to several US media reports.

California state authorities confirmed that a stabbing did occur in a San Diego prison, but did not identify the victim. The Associated Press later cited a government source, speaking on condition of anonymity, as saying it was Sirhan. Entertainment news outlet TMZ first broke the news.

"Officers responded quickly, and found an inmate with stab wound injuries," said a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. "He was transported to an outside hospital for medical care, and is currently in stable condition."

Read more: Donald Trump's withholding of some JFK files 'fuels' conspiracy theories

The 75-year-old Palestinian refugee shot Kennedy — the younger brother of the late US President John F. Kennedy — shortly after the New York senator made a victory speech for winning the California Democratic primary for the 1968 US presidential election.

Sirhan was found guilty of shooting Kennedy in the head as the Congressman made his way through the pantry of a Los Angeles hotel. The motive was connected to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

According to witness statements, the .22 caliber handgun used in the attack was wrested from Sirhan's hands by Olympic decathlon champion Rafar Johnson and Los Angeles Rams football hero Rosey Grier.

Sirhan was initially sentenced to death but his punishment was downgraded to life in prison when California briefly suspended capital punishment.

Read more: 1968 through the lens of German photo journalist Robert Lebeck

Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.

ls/msh (AP, Reuters)