Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa sentenced to death in drug case
A Cairo court has sentenced Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death over a case involving the manufacture and illegal trafficking of drugs. The sentence предусматривает execution by hanging, although it can be appealed.
The 39-year-old Khalifa is known as the host of the Mission Impossible program, dedicated to security and crime issues. She also owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and a company that organizes parties and events.
Charges in the case
As The Guardian World reports, the state-run newspaper Al-Ahram said that Khalifa and the other defendants were convicted on charges of establishing an organized criminal group. According to the outlet, the group was accused of obtaining materials for the manufacture of drugs intended for sale, as well as possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
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The state outlet Akhbar el-Yom reported that the defendants were accused of manufacturing synthetic drugs for sale using materials imported from abroad. According to Al-Ahram, law enforcement officers seized more than 750 kg of drugs and raw materials and discovered two apartments that, according to its information, were used as laboratories. It also reported the seizure of unlicensed weapons and ammunition.
Separate case
The court also sentenced Khalifa and the other defendants to five years in prison each in a separate case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man. Before handing down the death sentence, the court sought a religious opinion from Egypt's Grand Mufti — such a procedure is mandatory in the country in death penalty cases.
In Egypt, the death penalty is applied, among other crimes, for premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rapes, and drug trafficking. According to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, 541 death sentences were handed down in the country in 2025.
