An Egyptian court sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging on Saturday in a major drug-manufacturing and trafficking case. According to state-linked media reports, the 39-year-old presenter—known for hosting the crime and security program Mission Impossible
—was convicted alongside her brother, Mohamed Khalifa, and ten others for forming an organized criminal gang.
Cairo Court Sentences TV Presenter Sarah Khalifa to Death
The Cairo Criminal Court, sitting at the Fifth Settlement district in New Cairo, also fined each of the convicted defendants 500,000 Egyptian pounds. In the same 28-defendant case, which local media referred to as the Grand Drug Case,
nine other defendants received life sentences while seven were acquitted, as reported by Yahoo.
Gang Operations, Laboratory Seizures, and Charges
Investigators and state-run outlets detailed a sprawling operation involving the illegal import of chemical raw materials and the production of synthetic narcotics. According to the state-run The Guardian, authorities seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials, uncovered two residential apartments used as secret manufacturing laboratories, and seized unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The prosecution stated that the gang divided tasks among its members, with some smuggling chemicals from abroad, others manufacturing the drugs, and others handling distribution. Investigators identified several key figures in the network, including Iraqi national Duraid Abdul Latif Al-Samarrai and Egyptian national Sameh M. as leaders, alongside other participants such as Fathi K. and Khaled F. Detailed investigations and testimonies from 20 witnesses tracked the leadership roles of Sarah Khalifa and her brother Mohamed in coordinating the syndicate, importing raw materials from abroad, and arranging financing.
Beyond her television work, Khalifa owned a cosmetic surgery clinic and a production company that organized parties and events. She was detained in April 2025 on suspicion of drug manufacturing and trafficking, at which point authorities froze her assets. Following Saturday’s verdict, security forces transferred Khalifa to the women’s prison, where she collapsed inside the courtroom cage before her transfer.
Legal Process, Grand Mufti Consultation, and Additional Sentences
The capital convictions followed a mandatory consultation with the Grand Mufti of Egypt, the nation’s highest official Islamic legal authority, whose religious opinion is required by Egyptian law in capital cases before a sentence can be finalized. Legal sources noted that the death sentences are not final and remain subject to appeal; defendants have 30 days from the issuance of the court’s reasoning to file an appeal with the youm7.com.
In a separate legal matter, the same Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Khalifa and co-defendants to five years in prison for kidnapping, beating, and physically and psychologically assaulting a young man. During court proceedings, defense lawyers argued for a change in the legal description of the drug charges based on a constitutional challenge regarding pharmaceutical schedules, and maintained that electronic communications found on seized phones related strictly to real estate business rather than criminal activity.
Under Egyptian law, capital punishment applies to premeditated murder, terrorism, specific rape offenses, and drug trafficking. Data from the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms indicates that Egyptian courts issued 541 death sentences in 2025.
