Egyptian television personality Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death after being found guilty in a major drug trafficking case involving 12 defendants.
State-owned Al-Ahram reported that Khalifa, 39, and the other defendants were convicted of offences linked to an alleged criminal group accused of bringing raw materials into Egypt for the production and distribution of illegal drugs.
The prosecution also alleged that members of the group were in possession of firearms and ammunition without legal authorisation.
Khalifa, who gained recognition as the presenter of the crime programme Mission Impossible, has denied any connection to the alleged drug operation.
Her lawyer has indicated that the death sentence will be challenged through an appeal.
The court also sentenced nine other defendants to life imprisonment, while seven defendants were cleared of the charges.
The capital punishment verdicts were initially handed down last month but could not be finalised until Egypt’s Grand Mufti issued the required religious opinion on the death sentences.
Investigators reportedly recovered more than 750kg of narcotics and substances prosecutors said were connected to the manufacture of drugs.
The prosecution presented evidence that reportedly included testimony from 20 witnesses, electronic communications and video recordings.
Khalifa previously told the court that she had no involvement in drug-related activities. During a hearing last September, she reportedly said her only encounter with the seized drugs came when she was photographed with them at the offices of the country’s anti-narcotics authority.
The verdict has also highlighted wider concerns surrounding capital punishment in Egypt.
Amnesty International said 492 death sentences were recorded in Egypt in 2025, while 23 executions were carried out during the year.
The rights organisation has repeatedly opposed the use of capital punishment for drug-related offences, maintaining that drug trafficking does not satisfy the international legal standard of “most serious crimes” for which the death penalty can be imposed.
The convictions and allegations against Khalifa remain subject to the appeal process.
