Court Sentences TV Presenter, 11 Others to Death Over Narcotics Network

Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa

Court Sentences TV Presenter, 11 Others to Death Over Narcotics Network

A Cairo criminal court has sentenced Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging after convicting them of forming an organized criminal gang involved in manufacturing and trafficking narcotics, as well as possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

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

Khalifa, 39, is best known for presenting the crime-focused programme Mission Impossible on the private channel al-Mehwar. She also owns a plastic surgery clinic and a production company that specialises in organising parties and events. She has 2.5 million followers on her Instagram account. Khalifa was arrested in Cairo in April 2025 in connection with the investigation. An arrest warrant was issued on April 17, 2025, and she told prosecutors she was arrested that day, while the formal seizure report was dated April 19.

The Public Prosecution charged Khalifa and 27 other defendants with forming an organized criminal group specializing in importing raw materials used in the manufacture of synthetic narcotics, to produce and traffic the drugs, as well as possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition. According to the prosecution’s investigations, members of the group divided roles among themselves, with some responsible for importing raw materials, others for manufacturing the drugs, and others for distributing them. The group used a residential property to store the materials and manufacture the drugs. Prosecutors alleged that Khalifa provided funds for the operation and travelled abroad to meet two of the alleged leaders and help coordinate their activities with other members of the group. The case was referred to the criminal court with 28 defendants. The prosecution also ordered the defendants’ assets and bank accounts to be placed under precautionary measures and ordered the continued detention of those in custody. Two defendants who remain at large were placed on travel bans and watch lists.

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The prosecution presented evidence from 20 witnesses, as well as technical and digital evidence, including messages, photographs, and videos that the prosecution said documented the defendants’ alleged criminal activities. Authorities reportedly seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials, and discovered two apartments used as laboratories, as well as unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

Khalifa has consistently denied the charges against her. According to the state-run Akhbar al-Youm newspaper, when asked by a judge about her alleged role during a court appearance last September, Khalifa stated she had never seen any drugs until she was photographed with them inside the anti-narcotics authority offices. In a post on X following the sentencing, she declared: “I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life. I swear to God, I’m innocent.” In a separate case, the court also sentenced Khalifa and others to five years in prison over the kidnapping and assault of a young man.

The death sentence was confirmed only after the court obtained a religious opinion from the Grand Mufti of Egypt, a legal requirement in capital cases. The Mufti’s opinion is advisory and not binding on the court. Despite the verdict, Khalifa’s lawyer has stated that she will appeal the death sentence. The verdict is subject to appeal before the Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court for criminal cases.

Egypt applies the death penalty for premeditated murder, terrorism, some rape offenses, and drug trafficking. Human rights groups have raised concerns about the use of the death penalty in Egypt. According to a 2025 report by Amnesty International, there were 492 death sentences issued in the country that year, 23 of which were carried out. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms reported that 541 death sentences were issued in Egypt in 2025. 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 Amnesty International report said.