Staff Reporter
CAIRO, Egypt – Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others have been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted in a major drug trafficking case.
Khalifa, 39, who is known for presenting the crime-focused television programme Mission Impossible, was convicted alongside members of a criminal network accused of importing materials used in the manufacture of narcotics for commercial purposes.
The court also found the group guilty of possessing illegal firearms and ammunition.
Khalifa has denied the charges, while her lawyer has indicated that she will appeal the death sentence.
According to Egypt’s state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper, authorities seized more than 750 kilogrammes of narcotics and raw materials allegedly intended for the production of drugs during investigations into the case.
The prosecution also presented evidence from 20 witnesses, as well as electronic material, including conversations and video recordings.
During a court appearance last September, Khalifa reportedly denied having any knowledge of drugs, telling the judge that she had never seen narcotics until she was photographed with them inside the offices of Egypt’s anti-narcotics authority.
Nine other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted.
The death sentences were initially announced last month but could only be formally confirmed after the court obtained an opinion from Egypt’s Grand Mufti, as required in capital punishment cases.
The case has also renewed attention on Egypt’s use of the death penalty.
Amnesty International reported that Egypt issued 492 death sentences in 2025, with 23 executions carried out during the year.
The rights organisation has criticised the use of capital punishment for offences such as drug trafficking, arguing that international law and standards restrict the death penalty to crimes involving intentional killing.
The latest verdicts remain subject to the appeals process.
