Cairo: Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other people have been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of drugs charges. According to state owned al Ahram newspaper, they were part of a criminal gang that imported ingredients used to make drugs with the intent of selling them. They also had illegal firearms and munitions.

Khalifa, 39, is best known for her TV programme Mission Impossible which dealt with crime issues. She has denied the charges. Nine other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven have been acquitted.

Khalifa's lawyer said the TV star would appeal.

The verdict was upheld after courts obtained a religious opinion from the grand mufti of Egypt - a legal requirement in death sentence cases. During the trial, the court heard that authorities had seized more than 750kg (1653lbs) of narcotics and the imported raw materials to make them.

Twenty witnesses gave statements to the prosecutors, al Ahram said, in addition to electronic evidence that included conversations and video clips.

In her defence, Khalifa said she had never seen any drugs until she was photographed with them inside the anti-narcotics authority offices. Egypt sentenced 492 people to death last year but only 23 sentences were actually completed.

The defendants were found guilty of drug trafficking and rape, "crimes that did not amount to 'intentional killing' to which the use of the death penalty must be restricted under international law and standards", the report said.