Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa sentenced to death in drug trafficking case

A Cairo criminal court has sentenced prominent Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others to death by hanging for running an organized drug trafficking ring. Authorities seized over 750kg of synthetic narcotics and raw materials from residential laboratories. Khalifa, who hosted the crime show "Mission Impossible," strongly denied the charges, weeping in court and claiming she was framed. The death sentences, which can be appealed, were finalized after consultation with Egypt's Grand Mufti.

Sarah Khalifa death sentence

• ▪Sarah Khalifa and the other convicted defendants can appeal their sentences to Egypt's Court of Cassation, the country's highest court for criminal cases
• ▪The Cairo criminal court fined the 12 defendants sentenced to death, including Sarah Khalifa, 500,000 Egyptian pounds ($9,800) each
• ▪The Cairo criminal court sentenced nine co-defendants to life imprisonment and acquitted seven others in the drug trafficking case involving Sarah Khalifa
• ▪The death sentences were finalized after the Cairo criminal court consulted Egypt's Grand Mufti for a non-binding advisory religious opinion, as required by Egyptian law in capital cases
• ▪A Cairo criminal court sentenced Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging on September 5, 2026, for drug manufacturing and trafficking

Drug trafficking gang operations

• ▪The prosecution stated that the organized criminal gang imported raw materials from abroad to manufacture synthetic drugs, dividing roles among members for importing, manufacturing, and distributing
• ▪The criminal gang allegedly stored raw materials and manufactured synthetic drugs inside residential properties, including two apartments used as drug laboratories

Prosecution evidence seizures

• ▪Investigators seized more than 750 kilograms of synthetic narcotics and raw manufacturing materials, alongside unlicensed firearms and ammunition, from the criminal gang
• ▪The prosecution's case was built on statements from 20 witnesses, alongside digital evidence including messages, photographs, and videos documenting the group's activities

Khalifa courtroom denial

• ▪Sarah Khalifa denied all drug charges, stating during a September 2025 court appearance that she had never seen drugs until she was photographed with them at the anti-narcotics authority's offices
• ▪During her sentencing on September 5, 2026, Sarah Khalifa wept and requested mercy, declaring that she had never smoked a cigarette in her life and did not need drug money
• ▪In a separate case on September 5, 2026, the Cairo criminal court sentenced Sarah Khalifa to prison for the kidnapping and assault of a young man, with sources reporting the term as either three or five years

Egypt death penalty context

• ▪Egypt retains the death penalty for several offenses, including premeditated murder, terrorism, some rape offenses, and drug trafficking
• ▪The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms recorded 541 death sentences issued in Egypt in 2025, while Amnesty International reported 492 death sentences and 23 executions

7 sources