Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death alongside 11 other defendants after a Cairo court convicted them of involvement in an organised criminal operation manufacturing and trafficking synthetic drugs. The verdict, delivered on Saturday, is subject to appeal.
TV presenter at centre of major case
Khalifa, 39, is best known for presenting Mission Impossible, a television programme dealing with security and crime. Egyptian media reported that she and the other defendants were convicted of forming an organised criminal gang involved in obtaining materials used to manufacture narcotics for trafficking.
The charges also included possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. Authorities said more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials were seized during the investigation.
Apartments allegedly used as drug laboratories
Investigators said two apartments had been converted into laboratories for manufacturing synthetic drugs. Prosecutors alleged that raw materials used in production had been imported from abroad before drugs were manufactured and prepared for distribution.
The case involved 28 defendants in total. In addition to the 12 death sentences, nine defendants received life imprisonment while seven were acquitted, according to Egyptian media reports.
Death sentences subject to appeal
Before imposing the death sentences, the Cairo Criminal Court consulted Egypt’s Grand Mufti. Seeking the Mufti’s religious opinion is a required procedural step in Egyptian capital cases, although the opinion itself is advisory.
The sentences are not final and can be appealed.
Khalifa has denied involvement in the drug operation and maintained her innocence. She also owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and an events production company.
Egypt retains capital punishment for drug trafficking
Egyptian law allows the death penalty for several serious offences, including premeditated murder, terrorism and drug trafficking.
Khalifa and several others were also sentenced to five years in prison in a separate case concerning the kidnapping and assault of a young man.
The high-profile case has attracted significant attention in Egypt, particularly because of Khalifa’s public profile and the scale of the alleged drug-manufacturing operation.
Newshub Editorial in Africa – 6 September 2026
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