Egypt TV Presenter Sarah Khalifa Sentenced to Death in Drug Case

By Aurax Radio | September 6, 2026 | 2 min read

An Egyptian court has sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging after convicting them in a major drug manufacturing and trafficking case. The ruling follows a case involving 28 defendants and the seizure of more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and materials authorities said were intended for synthetic drug production.

Exterior of a Cairo court building where the drug trafficking case was heard.

A Cairo criminal court handed down death sentences to Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants in a drug case

Khalifa, 39, is known for presenting Mission Impossible, a program focused on crime and security, and also has business interests including a cosmetic surgery clinic and an events production company. A Cairo criminal court found her and the other defendants guilty of forming an organized criminal group that imported materials used to manufacture synthetic drugs for distribution, with prosecutors also alleging illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Nine other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted.

The case dates to investigations that led authorities to two apartments allegedly used as laboratories, where officials said they found narcotics and raw materials weighing more than 750 kilograms in total. Prosecutors presented witness testimony and electronic evidence, including communications and recordings, while allegations against Khalifa included helping finance and coordinate parts of the operation. Khalifa has denied the charges, and her lawyer has indicated that she will appeal the death sentence.

The death sentences were issued after the Cairo court sought the opinion of Egypt's Grand Mufti, a required step in capital cases, although the religious opinion is advisory rather than binding on the court. The verdicts remain subject to appeal, meaning the death sentences are not final at this stage. Egypt retains capital punishment for several serious offenses, including drug trafficking, and rights groups have continued to document the country's use of death sentences.

Sources: BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Al-Ahram, Al Jazeera and AFP.

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