Twelve people sentenced to death in Egypt for manufacturing and trafficking drugs, including TV presenter Sarah Khalifa. She is known for her show “Mission Difficult” on the private channel Al-Mehwar, which is devoted to security and crime affairs. She has also presented shows on online platforms and has two million followers on Instagram.
According to the al-Ahram newspaper, the Cairo Criminal Court “sentenced producer Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging, for having formed a criminal organization specializing in the importation of substances used in the manufacture of drugs, with a view to selling them.”
They were also convicted of “illegal possession and possession of firearms and ammunition”, according to this source and several other government media outlets, including Akhbar al-Youm.
Authorities seized more than 750 kg of drugs and raw materials used in their manufacture, as well as tools and machinery from two apartments that served as laboratories, according to al-Ahram.
The verdict was pronounced after the court sent the file to the grand mufti to consult his religious opinion, as provided for by law. Those convicted can still appeal.
Convicted in another case
The prosecutions began last year and targeted the presenter and 27 people, including her brother.
Sarah Khalifa, aged 39, was also sentenced to five years in prison in another case relating to the kidnapping and assault of a young man.
Egypt uses the death penalty for several crimes, including premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rapes and drug trafficking.
According to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, an NGO, 541 death sentences were handed down in 2025 in the country.
With AFP
