Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others have been sentenced to death by hanging after a court convicted them on drugs-related charges.
State-owned al-Ahram newspaper reported that the group operated as a criminal gang and imported ingredients used to manufacture narcotics for sale. Authorities also found illegal firearms and ammunition in their possession, reports BBC.
Khalifa, 39, is widely known for presenting the television programme Mission Impossible, which focused on crime-related issues. She has denied the allegations against her.
The court sentenced nine other defendants to life imprisonment and acquitted seven people. Khalifa’s lawyer said she would appeal against the death sentence.
The court first announced the verdict last month but formally confirmed it a month later after obtaining a religious opinion from Egypt’s Grand Mufti, a legal requirement in cases involving death sentences.
During the trial, the court heard that authorities had seised more than 750kg of narcotics, along with imported raw materials used to manufacture the drugs.
According to Al-Ahram, 20 witnesses gave statements to prosecutors, while electronic evidence included conversations and video clips.
State-run Akhbar al-Youm reported that, when the judge asked Khalifa about her alleged involvement during a court appearance last September, she said she had never seen any drugs until she was photographed with them inside the anti-narcotics authority offices.
According to a 2025 report by Amnesty International, Egyptian courts issued 492 death sentences during the year, of which 23 were carried out.
The report said 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.
