An Egyptian court sentenced a well-known female TV presenter and 11 others to death for manufacturing and trafficking drugs, as reported by official media on Saturday, September 5.
The 39-year-old TV host, Sarah Khalifa, gained fame through her show “Mission Impossible,” which primarily discusses security and crime issues.
According to the closely affiliated Al-Ahram newspaper, a court in Cairo found Khalifa and the other 11 defendants guilty of “forming an organized crime group, specifically procuring materials for drug manufacturing, intending to traffic drugs, as well as illegally possessing and carrying firearms and ammunition.”
Authorities seized over 750 kilograms of drugs and raw materials, and discovered two apartments used as drug manufacturing labs, along with unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
Prior to reaching a verdict, the court sought religious opinions from Egypt’s grand mufti, as required by Egyptian law in death penalty cases.
The verdict is subject to appeal.
As reported by Egypt’s official newspaper, Akhbar Al-Youm, the defendants were accused of “importing manufacturing materials from abroad and producing synthetic drugs with the intention of trafficking.”
Furthermore, for another case of kidnapping and assaulting a young man, the court sentenced Khalifa and others to five years in prison.
Khalifa also owns a plastic surgery clinic and a production company specializing in planning parties and events.
Egypt applies the death penalty for crimes such as premeditated murder, terrorism, certain cases of rape, and drug trafficking.
According to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, in 2025, Egypt sentenced a total of 541 people to death.