TV presenter, 11 others sentenced to death

CAIRO — An Egyptian court has sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging after convicting them in a major drug manufacturing and trafficking case.

The Cairo Criminal Court delivered the verdict on Saturday, Sept. 5, following the court’s consideration of the opinion of Egypt’s Grand Mufti, a required step in capital cases. The Mufti’s opinion is advisory and does not bind the court. The death sentences remain subject to appeal.

Khalifa, 39, is a television presenter and producer best known for her programme “Mission Impossible,” which dealt with security and crime issues. She has denied the allegations against her. She also owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and an events production company.

According to Egypt’s state-linked Al-Ahram newspaper, Khalifa and the other defendants were convicted of forming an organised criminal gang involved in procuring materials used to manufacture narcotics, with the intention of trafficking the drugs. They were also convicted of possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

The state-run Akhbar Al-Youm reported that the defendants were accused of importing materials from abroad for the manufacture of synthetic drugs, which were subsequently intended for trafficking in Egypt. Prosecutors alleged that different members of the group handled the importation of raw materials, manufacture, storage and distribution of the drugs.

Egyptian authorities said more than 750kg of narcotics and raw materials were seized during investigations. Two apartments allegedly used as laboratories were also discovered, alongside unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

Prosecutors relied on testimony from 20 witnesses, as well as digital and technical evidence, including conversations, photographs and video clips which investigators said documented activities linked to the defendants.

Egyptian investigators also alleged that Khalifa provided part of the financing for the operation and travelled abroad to meet two alleged leaders of the network to coordinate the procurement and movement of raw materials. These are allegations presented by the prosecution; Khalifa has denied the charges.

During an earlier court appearance, Khalifa reportedly told the judge that she had never seen drugs until she was photographed with them inside the offices of Egypt’s anti-narcotics authority. Her lawyer has indicated that she would challenge the death sentence.

The court also sentenced nine defendants to life imprisonment and acquitted seven others, bringing the number of defendants in the main case to 28.

Khalifa and some of the defendants also faced a separate case arising from allegations that a young man was kidnapped and assaulted. Recent Egyptian reporting says Khalifa received a separate prison sentence in that case.

What happened before the final verdict?

The capital sentences were first announced in principle in August, when the court referred the defendants’ case files to the Grand Mufti for a religious opinion. Under Egyptian law, courts must seek that opinion before confirming a death sentence. The opinion is consultative rather than binding.

The final ruling on Sept. 5 therefore confirmed the death sentences after the required Mufti process had been completed. Egyptian media described the proceedings as the “Grand Drug Case” or “major drugs case.”

Reaction and wider international concern

The case has attracted renewed international attention because of the severity of the sentences and Egypt’s continued use of capital punishment, particularly for serious drug offences. However, as of Sept. 6, there does not appear to be a widely reported specific statement from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch or another major international rights organisation responding specifically to Khalifa’s final verdict.

Human-rights organisations have nevertheless repeatedly criticised Egypt’s broader use of the death penalty. Amnesty International previously described a sharp rise in executions in Egypt and raised concerns about death sentences following what it described as seriously unfair trials.

The broader figures remain significant. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms reported 541 death sentences in Egypt in 2025, according to international media reports. Egypt continues to permit capital punishment for offences including premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape offences and drug trafficking.

The case has also generated extensive coverage outside Egypt, with reports appearing across international media in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The focus has centred on Khalifa’s celebrity status, the scale of the alleged drug operation, the quantity of narcotics seized and the implications of the death sentence.

Importantly, the death sentences are not yet final executions. The defendants retain the right to challenge the verdict through Egypt’s judicial appeals process.

Sarah Khalifa is best known for her TV programme Mission Impossible which dealt with crime issues