Egyptian TV Presenter Sarah Khalifa Among 12 Sentenced to Death in Major Drug Case !
CAIRO — A Cairo Criminal Court has sentenced 39-year-old Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other individuals to death by hanging following their conviction in a high-profile synthetic drug manufacturing and trafficking case.
The verdict, formally confirmed after consultation with Egypt’s Grand Mufti—a mandatory procedural step under national law for capital punishment cases—concludes a trial involving 28 total defendants. Nine defendants received life sentences, while seven were acquitted.
Key Details of the Ruling !
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Charges: Khalifa and 11 co-defendants were convicted of forming an organized criminal ring, importing raw chemical ingredients from overseas to manufacture synthetic narcotics, and distributing the drugs across Egypt. They were also convicted of possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
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Evidence Seized: Authorities confiscated over 750 kilograms of synthetic narcotics and raw manufacturing materials during raids, uncovering two residential flats configured into illicit production laboratories.
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Separate Conviction: Khalifa and several co-defendants received an additional five-year prison sentence in a secondary case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man.
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Right to Appeal: The death sentences are not final; all convicted defendants retain the right to appeal before Egypt's Court of Cassation, the country's highest judicial authority.
Defense Maintain Innocence !
Sarah Khalifa—a prominent media figure known for hosting Mission Impossible, a crime and security-focused television show—has consistently denied all allegations since her arrest in Cairo in April 2025.
During court testimony, Khalifa rejected the prosecution's claims that she funded operations and coordinated overseas logistics. She stated to the judge that she had never encountered illegal narcotics prior to being photographed alongside seized evidence inside the anti-narcotics authority's offices. Defense attorneys confirmed plans to file an immediate appeal against the verdict.
