Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa prepares appeal against death sentence
In Egypt, TV presenter Sarah Khalifa, whom a court sentenced to death in a case involving the manufacture and sale of synthetic drugs, is preparing an appeal. Her lawyer, Mohamed el-Gendy, said Khalifa would sign documents to challenge the verdict. Eleven other defendants were sentenced to death alongside her.
As Euronews reports, Khalifa denied any involvement with drugs during court hearings and maintained her innocence. Prosecutors said the case involved 28 people believed to be participants in an organized network supplying materials, manufacturing, storing and distributing drugs.
Charges in the case
Investigators accused Khalifa, known as the host of the crime show Mission Impossible, of financing the purchase of materials for drug production, traveling abroad to meet with the leaders of the alleged network and helping coordinate its activities. Her brother Mohamed, who was also sentenced to death, was accused of manufacturing drugs and testing the produced batches.
Experts identified the synthetic cannabinoid MDMB-4en-PINACA among the seized substances. A court-appointed panel found that the name of this substance was not directly included in Egypt's list of controlled drugs, but concluded that it fell under the law because its chemical structure and effects were similar to listed substances. The defense challenged this interpretation, but the court agreed with the panel's findings.
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Appeal procedure
Egyptian law provides for the death penalty for certain serious drug crimes, including the unauthorized importation of drugs, their manufacture for sale, and the creation, leadership or participation in a drug group. At the same time, possession of narcotic substances for personal use does not entail the same charges.
Following the 2024 criminal procedure reform, people convicted in serious crime cases may file a full appeal with the Criminal Court of Appeal. It may review the evidence, the prosecution's position and the role of each defendant, uphold the verdict, change the sentence or overturn the conviction. An appeal to the Court of Cassation is then possible; it primarily reviews whether the law was applied correctly and whether there were substantial procedural violations.
Before passing the death sentence, the court referred Khalifa's case and those of 12 other defendants to Egypt's Grand Mufti. To impose the death penalty, judges must reach a unanimous decision and obtain the mufti's advisory opinion. If the Court of Cassation ultimately upholds the death sentence or rejects the final appeal, the materials will be sent through the justice minister to the president, who may pardon the convicted person or commute the sentence.
