By Benson Daniel
An Egyptian television presenter, Sarah Khalifa, has been sentenced to death by hanging alongside 11 other defendants after a Cairo court found them guilty in a major drug manufacturing and trafficking case.
Khalifa, 39, is best known for hosting Mission Impossible, a television programme focused on crime and security. She also runs a cosmetic surgery clinic and an event production company and has a large following on social media.
The Cairo criminal court convicted the defendants of forming an organised criminal gang involved in obtaining materials used to manufacture synthetic narcotics for trafficking. The charges also included possession and carrying of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
According to Egyptian authorities, the investigation uncovered more than 750 kilogrammes of narcotics and raw materials allegedly intended for the production of synthetic drugs.
Two apartments were also identified as laboratories where the drugs were allegedly manufactured, while firearms and ammunition were recovered during the investigation.
Khalifa has denied the allegations and maintained her innocence throughout the case. During proceedings, she reportedly told the court that she had never used drugs and rejected claims that she was involved in the operation.
The prosecution relied on witness testimony and electronic evidence, including conversations and video recordings, as part of its case against the defendants.
The death sentences were issued after the court consulted Egypt’s Grand Mufti, whose opinion is required under Egyptian law before capital punishment can be imposed. The opinion is advisory rather than a final judicial determination.
The ruling is not final and can be challenged through the country’s appeals process.
The case involved 28 defendants in total. While 12, including Khalifa, were handed death sentences, nine others were sentenced to life imprisonment. Seven defendants were acquitted.
Khalifa’s case has attracted considerable attention because of her public profile and her previous work presenting a programme dealing with crime and security.
Her arrest in April 2025 brought her business and television career under scrutiny as investigators expanded their inquiry into the alleged drug network.
Prosecutors alleged that members of the group imported raw materials from abroad and operated different stages of the drug production and distribution process.
The case is among the latest major drug prosecutions in Egypt, where trafficking offences can attract the death penalty.
The verdict is expected to face further legal proceedings as the defendants exercise their right to appeal. Until the appeals process is completed, the sentences do not represent the end of the case.
The ruling also highlights Egypt’s continued use of capital punishment in serious drug trafficking cases, despite ongoing international criticism of the country’s death penalty system.
For Khalifa, the verdict marks a dramatic fall from her public career in television and business and leaves her facing a lengthy legal battle as her lawyers seek to overturn the capital sentence.
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