FAMReports News Desk | September 2026
Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death by hanging alongside 11 other defendants following their conviction in a major drug trafficking case.
According to the BBC, the defendants were found guilty after prosecutors alleged that they were members of a criminal gang involved in importing raw materials used to manufacture drugs with the intention of selling them. The case also involved allegations concerning illegal firearms and ammunition.
Khalifa, 39, is known for presenting the television programme Mission Impossible, which focused on crime related issues. She has denied the allegations against her.
Her lawyer has indicated that the defence will appeal the death sentence.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa, 39, and 11 other defendants have been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted on drug related charges.
• Prosecutors said the group was involved in a criminal gang that imported ingredients used to manufacture narcotics for sale.
• Authorities reportedly seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials during investigations.
• Khalifa has denied the charges and her lawyer has said she will appeal the death sentence.
• Nine other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted.
• The death sentences were confirmed after Egypt’s Grand Mufti provided the required religious opinion.
Court Heard Evidence of Large Narcotics Seizure
During the trial, authorities presented evidence concerning the seizure of more than 750 kilograms of narcotics, alongside imported materials allegedly intended for the manufacture of drugs.
State owned Al Ahram newspaper reported that prosecutors relied on testimony from 20 witnesses as well as electronic evidence.
The electronic evidence reportedly included conversations and video clips that prosecutors presented as part of their case against the defendants.
According to state run Akhbar Al Youm, Khalifa was questioned by a judge during a court appearance last September about her alleged involvement.
She reportedly told the court that she had never seen drugs before she was photographed with them inside the offices of Egypt’s anti narcotics authority.
Death Sentences Confirmed After Grand Mufti’s Opinion
The verdict was initially announced the previous month but the death sentences required further confirmation.
Under Egypt’s legal process for capital punishment, a death sentence is referred to the country’s Grand Mufti for a religious opinion before it can be formally confirmed.
The court subsequently confirmed the death sentences after obtaining the required opinion from the Grand Mufti. The development leaves Khalifa and the other condemned defendants facing the possibility of execution unless their appeals succeed.
Other Defendants Receive Life Sentences or Acquittal
The court handed different sentences to the other defendants in the case. Nine fellow defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven others were acquitted.
The convictions reportedly covered drug trafficking and rape, among other allegations considered by the court. The defendants’ convictions and sentences remain subject to the applicable appeal process.
Khalifa Maintains Her Denial
Khalifa has consistently denied the charges against her. Her reported statement to the court concerning the photographs of her with drugs formed part of her defence position.
Her lawyer’s decision to appeal means the death sentence is not necessarily the final stage of the legal process.
The case has attracted particular attention because of Khalifa’s public profile as a television presenter whose programme dealt with crime issues.
Egypt’s Use of the Death Penalty
The case has also drawn attention to Egypt’s wider use of capital punishment. According to Amnesty International’s 2025 report cited by the BBC, Egypt recorded 492 death sentences during 2025, while 23 executions were carried out.
Amnesty International has criticised the use of the death penalty in cases involving offences that it says do not meet the threshold of intentional killing required under international human rights standards.
The organisation’s position is that the death penalty should be restricted to the most serious crimes involving intentional killing.
The Egyptian authorities and courts, however, continue to apply capital punishment under the country’s criminal justice system for certain serious offences.
SOURCE:
This report is based on information published by the BBC, with additional details attributed to Egyptian state media reports cited in the BBC report.
Source credit: BBC
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