Egyptian TV Presenter Among 12 Sentenced to Death in Major Drug Case

An Egyptian court has sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging after convicting them in a major case involving the manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs.

Khalifa, 39, who became known for hosting the crime-focused television programme “Mission Impossible,” has denied the allegations and is expected to appeal the verdict.

According to Egypt’s state-linked Al-Ahram newspaper, the defendants were convicted of forming an organised criminal group to obtain materials used to manufacture narcotics for trafficking. They were also convicted of possessing and transporting unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

Authorities reportedly seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials during the investigation. Prosecutors also said two apartments had been converted into laboratories for producing synthetic drugs.

The prosecution’s case included statements from 20 witnesses, as well as electronic evidence such as conversations and video recordings, according to reports citing Egyptian state media.

Khalifa, who also owns a cosmetic clinic and an events-production business, has repeatedly rejected the accusations.

Reports from the trial said she told the court that she had never seen drugs until she was photographed with them inside the offices of Egypt’s anti-narcotics authorities. Her lawyer has said the death sentence will be challenged on appeal.

The presenter was arrested in April 2025 as investigators pursued the alleged drug network. Her case attracted significant public attention because of her television career and large social-media following.

The court did not sentence everyone in the case to death.

Nine other defendants were handed life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted, according to reports. Two other suspects were reported to remain at large.

Khalifa and some of the defendants also received five-year prison terms in a separate case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man, according to Al-Ahram-cited reports.

The death sentences followed consultation with Egypt’s Grand Mufti, whose opinion is required before a capital punishment ruling is confirmed under Egyptian procedure. The ruling remains subject to appeal.

The case has also renewed attention on Egypt’s use of capital punishment. Amnesty International reported 492 death sentences in Egypt in 2025, while the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms has reported a higher figure of 541.

The latest ruling therefore does not mean the 12 defendants have been executed; the legal appeals process remains available to them.