CAIRO: An Egyptian court has sentenced well-known television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others to death by hanging in a narcotics case, state media reported on Saturday.
Khalifa, 39, is known for hosting the television programme Mission Impossible, which focused on security and crime-related issues.
According to Al-Ahram newspaper, a Cairo court convicted Khalifa and the other defendants of forming an organised criminal gang involved in obtaining materials used to manufacture narcotics, with the intention of trafficking them. They were also convicted of possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
Before issuing the death sentences, the court referred the case to Egypt’s Grand Mufti for a religious opinion, a legally required step in capital punishment cases. The verdict can be appealed.
بينهم سارة خليفة وشقيقها.. ننشر أسماء المحكوم عليهم بالإعدام في قضية المخدرات الكبرى pic.twitter.com/OuVZFt3axL
— Cairo 24 – القاهرة 24 (@cairo24_) September 5, 2026
Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper reported that the defendants were accused of manufacturing synthetic drugs for trafficking after importing the materials required for production from abroad.
Authorities reportedly seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials during the investigation. They also discovered two apartments allegedly being used as drug laboratories, along with unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
In a separate case, Khalifa and several other defendants were sentenced to five years in prison for the kidnapping and assault of a young man.
Khalifa also owns a plastic surgery clinic and a production company specialising in organising parties and events.
Egypt imposes the death penalty for offences including premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape cases and drug trafficking. According to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, Egyptian courts issued 541 death sentences in 2025.
