Television Host Sarah Khalifa Sentenced to Death in Major Drug Trafficking Case

Prominent Egyptian television host Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death by hanging, alongside 11 co-defendants, in a significant drug trafficking case in Cairo. The ruling was issued by a court on Saturday, marking a severe legal consequence for the group accused of forming a criminal organization involved in the production and distribution of synthetic narcotics.

Khalifa, 39, who gained popularity for her role as the host of the crime-focused show 'Mission Impossible,' was part of a larger operation that allegedly imported materials for drug manufacture from abroad. Prosecutors detailed how different members of the group played various roles in the criminal activities, which were substantiated by the seizure of over 750 kilograms of narcotics and production materials from two apartments identified as drug laboratories.

The legal proceedings included testimony from 20 witnesses and a variety of digital evidence, including messages and videos, which prosecutors claimed documented the gang's operations. Khalifa was arrested in April 2025, and a warrant for her arrest was issued later that year. She maintained her innocence during a court appearance, claiming she had never seen drugs before being photographed with them in the anti-narcotics authority's offices.

In addition to the death sentence, Khalifa and several others received a five-year prison term in a separate case related to the kidnapping and assault of a young man. The death sentences are currently awaiting review by Egypt's Grand Mufti, whose advisory opinion is a required legal step before final judgment, although it does not obligate the court's decision. Khalifa and her co-defendants have the option to appeal to Egypt's Court of Cassation, the highest court for criminal matters in the country.

Source: www.independent.co.uk