12 people, including a female presenter, sentenced to death in Egypt

A court in Egypt has sentenced well-known television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others to death for drug production and trafficking in a wide-ranging drug case. According to reports in the national press, authorities seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials, and discovered unlicensed firearms and ammunition at two locations identified as being used for drug production.

According to the state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper, the court in the capital, Cairo, sentenced Khalifa and 11 defendants to death by hanging for "forming an organized crime group aimed at producing and trafficking drugs by supplying substances used in drug production, and possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition."

The court also sentenced Khalifa and some of the other defendants to 5 years in prison each in a separate case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man.

It was noted that prior to the death sentence, the court consulted with Egypt's Grand Mufti, Nazir Muhammad Ayyad, to obtain a religious opinion, which is mandatory in death penalty cases under Egyptian law. It was stated that the court's decision is subject to appeal.

Khalifa is also the owner of an aesthetic surgery clinic and a production company

It was stated that Khalifa also owns an aesthetic surgery clinic and a production company specializing in party and event organization. The 39-year-old presenter is known for her program titled "Mission Impossible," which covers security and crime-related issues.

It is known that the death penalty is applied in Egypt for premeditated murder, terrorist acts, certain rape offenses, and drug trafficking. According to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, 541 death sentences were handed down in the country in 2025.