Egyptian TV Presenter, 11 Others Sentenced To Death For Drug Trafficking

Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other people have been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of drug trafficking and other charges.

According to the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper, the defendants were members of a criminal gang accused of importing ingredients used to manufacture drugs for sale.

They were also convicted of possessing illegal firearms and ammunition.

Khalifa, 39, is best known for presenting Mission Impossible, a television programme that dealt with crime-related issues. She has denied the charges.

Nine other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted.

Khalifa’s lawyer said she would appeal the death sentence.

The verdict was initially announced last month but was only formally confirmed after the court obtained a religious opinion from Egypt’s Grand Mufti, a legal requirement in death sentence cases.

During the trial, the court heard that authorities had seized more than 750 kilogrammes of narcotics and imported raw materials allegedly intended for drug production.

Al-Ahram reported that 20 witnesses had given statements to prosecutors, alongside electronic evidence, including conversations and video clips.

According to the state-run Akhbar al-Youm newspaper, Khalifa told the judge during a court appearance last September that she had never seen drugs until she was photographed with them inside the offices of the anti-narcotics authority.

The case has also drawn attention to Egypt’s continued use of the death penalty. According to Amnesty International’s 2025 report, 492 death sentences were recorded during the year, while 23 executions were carried out.

The organisation said some of those sentenced to death had been convicted of drug trafficking and rape, offences it said did not amount to intentional killing, to which the death penalty should be restricted under international law and standards.