Egyptian presenter Sarah Khalifa sentenced to death for drug trafficking

Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others have been sentenced to death by hanging after being found guilty on drug-related charges.

According to the state-run al-Ahram newspaper, they were part of a gang that imported ingredients used to make drugs with the intention of selling them. They also possessed illegal firearms and ammunition.

Khalifa, 39, is best known for her TV show Mission: Impossible, which covered issues related to crime in Egypt. She denied the accusations.

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

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

The verdict was first announced last month.

However, the sentence was only confirmed a month later, after the court obtained a religious opinion from Egypt's Grand Mufti – a legal requirement in death penalty cases.

During the trial, the court heard that authorities seized more than 750 kg of narcotics and the imported raw materials to produce them.

According to the al-Ahram newspaper, twenty witnesses gave testimony to the prosecution, in addition to electronic evidence, including conversations and videos.

According to state newspaper Akhbar al-Youm, when questioned by the judge about her alleged involvement during a hearing last September, Khalifa said she had never seen drugs until she was photographed with them inside the anti-drug authority's premises.

According to a 2025 Amnesty International report, there were 492 death sentences during the year, of which 23 were executed.

The defendants were found guilty of drug trafficking and rape, "crimes that do not amount to 'intentional homicide,' for which the use of the death penalty should be restricted in accordance with international law and standards," the report said.