Egyptian TV presenter sentenced to death in major drug case
Al Jazeera · 2026-09-06
An Egyptian court has sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other individuals to death by hanging after convicting them of drug charges. The Cairo criminal court found the defendants guilty of forming an organized criminal gang specializing in procuring materials for manufacturing narcotics with intent to traffic them, as reported by state-linked Al-Ahram on Saturday. The case involved 28 defendants and more than 750kg of narcotics, with nine co-defendants receiving life imprisonment and seven acquitted. Khalifa, 39, known for hosting the security and crime program "Mission Impossible," denied the charges, but prosecutors stated the gang imported raw materials to manufacture synthetic drugs, storing them in residential properties, and authorities seized unlicensed firearms and ammunition. The verdict, issued after consulting Egypt's grand mufti, can be appealed before the Court of Cassation.