Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other people have been sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty of involvement in a drug trafficking case.

According to the state-run Al-Ahram newspaper, the convicts were part of a criminal group that imported raw materials used to produce drugs, with the aim of selling them. Authorities have seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and imported materials for their production. Illegal weapons and ammunition were also discovered during the investigation.

Sarah Khalifa, 39, best known for her role in the crime drama "Mission Impossible," has denied the allegations against her.

In the same case, nine other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven people were acquitted.

Sarah Khalifa's lawyer has stated that she will appeal the death penalty decision.

The decision was initially announced last month, but was only confirmed a month later, after the court obtained the religious opinion of Egypt's grand mufti, a mandatory procedure in cases where the court imposes the death penalty.

During the trial, the prosecution presented testimony from 20 people, as well as electronic evidence, including conversations and videos. According to Akhbar al-Youm, during a court hearing in September last year, when asked about her alleged role, Khalifa said she had never seen drugs until she was photographed with them at the narcotics authority's premises.

According to an Amnesty International report for 2025, 492 death sentences were handed down in Egypt during that year, while 23 people were executed. The report emphasizes that the death penalty should be limited under international law only to crimes involving intentional killing.