Egyptian TV Host Sentenced to Death in Drug Trafficking Case

A Cairo criminal court sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa, 39, and 11 co-defendants to death by hanging after finding them guilty of forming an organised criminal gang that procured raw materials for synthetic narcotics with the intent to traffic them. Nine additional defendants received life imprisonment, and seven were acquitted in a case that involved 28 accused individuals and more than 750 kg of seized narcotics.

Khaliva, known for hosting the security programme “Mission Impossible” on Al-Mehwar TV, also runs a cosmetic surgery clinic and an event-planning business and has a large social-media following. She denied the charges, telling investigators she had never smoked and maintained her innocence.

"Please listen to me, sir. My parents raised me well; they are people who pray, and I don’t need drug money," she reportedly said during the hearing.

Prosecutors said the gang imported raw chemicals from abroad, stored them in residential properties and divided tasks among procurement, manufacturing and distribution. Unlicensed firearms and ammunition were also seized alongside the drugs.

The verdict follows a mandatory consultation with Egypt’s grand mufti, whose non-binding opinion is required in capital cases. The sentences can be appealed to the Court of Cassation, with defendants entitled to request a retrial under recent judicial reforms. Khalifa was arrested in April 2025 and, in a separate proceeding, received a three-year prison term for assaulting and filming her driver. Egypt retains the death penalty for offenses including drug trafficking, terrorism and premeditated murder.