TV presenter among 12 sentenced to death in Egypt drugs case

Television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others were sentenced to death by hanging in an Egyptian drugs case, according to state-owned al-Ahram newspaper. The 39-year-old Khalifa, known for her crime-focused TV show Mission Impossible, has denied the charges. The accused were part of a criminal gang accused of importing drug-making ingredients with the intent to sell them.

They also possessed illegal firearms and munitions. While nine defendants received life sentences, seven were acquitted. Khalifa's lawyer announced he would appeal the death sentence. The verdict, initially announced last month, was confirmed a month later after obtaining a religious opinion from Egypt's grand mufti, a legal requirement for death sentences.

The trial revealed authorities seized over 750kg (1,653lbs) of narcotics and raw materials used to make them. Twenty witnesses testified, and electronic evidence, including conversations and video clips, was presented. Khalifa stated at her court appearance that she had never seen drugs until photographed with them at an anti-narcotics authority office.

Amnesty International reported 492 death sentences in 2025, 23 of which were carried out. The defendants were convicted of drug trafficking and rape, crimes deemed not to warrant the death penalty under international law.