Arabic version: الحكم بالإعدام على سارة خليفة في قضية مخدرات بمصر

According to ABC News, a Cairo court sentenced Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other people to death in a case involving the manufacturing and illegal trafficking of narcotics. The 39-year-old presenter is known for hosting Mission Impossible, a program focused on security and crime issues.

Khalifa reacted to the ruling in a post on X, writing: “I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life. I swear to God, I’m innocent.” State-linked newspaper Al-Ahram reported that she was sentenced to “death by hanging” over allegations that the defendants formed an organised criminal gang to obtain materials used to manufacture narcotics and traffic them.

Al-Ahram also reported allegations involving unlicensed firearms and ammunition. State-run Akhbar Al-Youm said the defendants were charged with manufacturing synthetic drugs for trafficking after importing materials used in production from abroad. Authorities reportedly seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials, and found two apartments used as laboratories, along with firearms and ammunition.

The court consulted Egypt’s Grand Mufti for a religious opinion before issuing the capital verdict, a procedure required under Egyptian law in death-penalty cases. The ruling can be appealed. Khalifa and others also received five-year prison sentences in a separate case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man. Egypt applies the death penalty for offences including drug trafficking, terrorism, premeditated murder and some rape offences. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms said 541 death sentences were issued in the country in 2025.