Sarah Khalifa, a 39-year-old Egyptian TV presenter, has been sentenced to death by a Cairo court for her role in a major drug manufacturing and trafficking operation. She is one of 12 defendants condemned to execution by hanging, though the sentences can still be appealed.
Charges and the criminal network
The court charged Khalifa and 11 others with “forming an organised criminal gang specialising in procuring materials used in manufacturing narcotics, with the intent to traffic them, and possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition,” according to the Al-Ahram newspaper. The state-run Akhbar el-Yom newspaper reported that the defendants imported materials from abroad to “manufacture synthetic drugs.”
Khalifa, best known for her show Mission Impossible, which explores crime and security issues, was specifically accused of supplying funds for the operation and travelling abroad to meet two of the gang leaders. The scheme involved a detailed network, with members recruited at different stages—some obtained materials while others handled assembly and distribution.
Police seizure and other sentences
Police seized more than 750kg of narcotics and raw materials, plus equipment, after finding two apartments used as labs. They also discovered unlicensed guns and ammunition. In the same case, nine defendants were sentenced to life in jail and seven others were acquitted, out of 28 total defendants.
Khalifa also faces a separate five-year prison term for the abduction and assault of a young man, a charge brought independently of the drug offences.
Legal context and statistics
Under Egyptian law, capital punishment is legal and applies to more than 100 offences, including terrorism-related crimes, military offences, premeditated and aggravated murder, and large-scale drug trafficking. In capital cases, the Grand Mufti of Egypt must be consulted for a non-binding religious opinion before a verdict is delivered.
Figures indicate that in 2025 Egypt handed down 492 death sentences, a 35% increase from 365 in 2024. Human rights monitors documented at least 23 executions last year.
