Egyptian TV Host Sentenced to Death in Drug Trafficking Case

A Cairo criminal court handed down death sentences by hanging to twelve defendants, including television presenter Sarah Khalifa, for their alleged participation in an organized drug-trafficking gang. The court also imposed a fine of 500,000 Egyptian pounds (about $9,800) on each of the sentenced individuals. The defendants were accused of importing chemicals used to manufacture synthetic narcotics, possessing unlicensed firearms, and operating a network that produced and distributed the drugs, according to the state-run al-Ahram newspaper.

Nine other accused received life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted. Prosecutors said the investigation uncovered 750 kilograms of synthetic narcotics and related raw materials seized from a residential property used by the group, and that the case relied on testimony from 20 witnesses, as well as recorded conversations, photographs and video footage.

Khalifa, a well-known media figure with a large social-media following, was reported to have appealed for clemency during the sentencing. She stated she had never smoked and claimed she was wronged, according to a video circulating online, though the footage could not be independently verified.

Amnesty International noted that Egypt issued 492 death sentences in 2025, one of the highest rates globally, and carried out 23 executions during the same period.