TV presenter sentenced to death alongside 12 in Egypt drug case

Sarah Khalifa in an anti‑narcotics office capture, 2024

Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and eleven other individuals have been condemned to death by hanging on charges of drug trafficking and gun smuggling. The ruling, released via state‑owned Al‑Ahram, names the defendants as members of a criminal ring that imported substances intended for drug manufacturing.

During the trial, authorities seized more than 750kg of narcotics and the raw materials for their production. Witnesses—including twenty people in court—provided testimony, and prosecutors presented audio and video evidence that allegedly linked attendees to the operations.

Khalifa, 39, is best known for her programme Mission Impossible, which covered crime investigations. In a court appearance last September, she denied any involvement, stating she had never seen drugs before a forensic photograph placed her beside them.

While nine defendants received life imprisonment and seven were acquitted, Khalifa’s attorney said she will appeal the sentence. The verdict was first announced last month, but a confirmation took place a month later after a required religious opinion from the grand mufti of Egypt, as per legal protocol for death‑penalty cases.

Amnesty International’s 2025 report highlighted the gravity of Egypt’s judicial approach, noting 492 death sentences were issued that year, with 23 executions carried out. The report criticized the application of capital punishment for drug‑trafficking and rape charges—statements that international law reserves the death penalty only for intentional killing.