Sarah,TV presenter,11 others entenced to death over drug charges
An Egyptian court has sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other people to death by hanging after convicting them on drug charges.
The Cairo criminal court found the defendants guilty of forming an organised criminal gang involved in procuring materials used to manufacture narcotics for trafficking, according to state-linked Al-Ahram.
Nine other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted in the case involving 28 people and more than 750kg of narcotics.
Khalifa, 39, is known for presenting the security and crime programme “Mission Impossible” on the private Al-Mehwar TV channel. She also runs a cosmetic surgery clinic and an event planning company.
She denied the charges and told investigators she had “never smoked a cigarette in my life” and declared her innocence.
According to the state-run Akhbar al-Youm newspaper, Khalifa told the court during an appearance last September that she had never seen any drugs until she was photographed with them inside the anti-narcotics authority offices.
Egyptian media also reported that she tearfully appealed to the court for mercy during her sentencing: “Please listen to me, sir. My parents raised me well; they are people who pray, and I don’t need drug money”
Prosecutors said the group imported raw materials from abroad to manufacture synthetic drugs and stored them in residential properties.
They said members had different roles in procurement, manufacturing and distribution. Investigators also seized unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The death sentences were issued after the court consulted Egypt’s grand mufti for his non-binding opinion, as required in capital cases.
The verdict can be appealed before the Court of Cassation. Under recent judicial reforms, defendants can first seek a retrial before an appeals court.
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Khalifa was arrested in April 2025 during the investigation.
In a separate case on Saturday, the same court sentenced her to three years in prison for assaulting and filming her driver.
Egypt imposes the death penalty for offences including drug trafficking, terrorism and premeditated murder.
Amnesty International reported that 492 death sentences were issued in Egypt in 2025, with 23 executions carried out.
