An Egyptian court has handed down death sentences to a prominent television host and 11 co-defendants over accusations of producing and trafficking narcotics in a major drug case, state media reported on Saturday.

The presenter, 39-year-old Sarah Khalifa, became widely known through her programme Mission Impossible, which focused on security matters and criminal cases.

State-affiliated newspaper Al-Ahram reported that a Cairo court sentenced “Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging” after finding them guilty of creating an organised criminal group that allegedly obtained substances for drug production with the aim of selling them, as well as possessing unlicensed weapons and ammunition.

The ruling was issued after the court referred the case to Egypt’s Grand Mufti for a religious opinion, as required under Egyptian procedures in death penalty cases.

The defendants are still able to challenge the ruling through an appeal.

Alongside her media work, Khalifa owns a cosmetic surgery centre and a production business involved in arranging celebrations and events.

According to the state-owned Akhbar el-Yom newspaper, the defendants were accused of producing synthetic narcotics for trafficking after bringing in drug-making materials from outside the country.

Al-Ahram said investigators seized more than 750 kilograms of drugs and related materials. Authorities also reportedly discovered two apartments allegedly used as drug laboratories, along with unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

In a separate case, the court sentenced Khalifa and several others to five years in prison on charges connected to the abduction and assault of a young man.

Egyptian law permits capital punishment for offences including premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape crimes and drug trafficking.

The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms said that 541 death sentences were issued in Egypt during 2025.