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An Egyptian court has sentenced 12 people, including well-known television presenter Sarah Khalifa, to death in a case involving the production and trafficking of drugs, state-affiliated media reported on Saturday.
Khalifa, 39, is best known for hosting “Mission Impossible,” a television program that discussed security and crime-related issues.
According to Al-Ahram, a Cairo court sentenced Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging after finding them involved in an organized criminal group accused of obtaining materials used to manufacture drugs and smuggling them. They were also accused of possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
Egypt imposes the death penalty for several offenses, including premeditated murder, terrorism, rape and drug trafficking.
Before issuing the death sentences, the court referred the case to Egypt’s Grand Mufti for a religious opinion, a mandatory procedural step in death-penalty cases. The defendants have the right to appeal the verdict.
Khalifa also owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and a production company that organizes parties and other events.
State-owned Akhbar El-Yom reported that the defendants were accused of manufacturing synthetic drugs for trafficking and importing materials from abroad for drug production.
Al-Ahram reported that authorities seized ”more than 750 kilograms of drugs and drug-making raw materials”, along with two apartments allegedly used as drug laboratories. Unlicensed firearms and ammunition were also recovered.