Who Is Sarah Khalifa? Egyptian TV Presenter Sentenced To Death In Major Drug Case

An Egyptian court has sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death for their alleged involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking and manufacturing operation, BBC reported. Khalifa, 39, is known for hosting 'Mission Impossible', a television programme focused on security and crime-related issues. She also owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and a production company that organises parties and events, according to AFP.

State-owned Al-Ahram reported that Khalifa and the other defendants were found guilty of belonging to an organised criminal group that allegedly imported raw materials from abroad to manufacture synthetic drugs for sale. Prosecutors said different members of the group were involved in importing the materials, producing the drugs and distributing them.

Authorities reportedly seized more than 750 kg of narcotics and materials used to manufacture them during the investigation. Two apartments allegedly being used as drug laboratories were also discovered, along with unlicensed firearms and amunition.

The court sentenced nine other defendants to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted. Khalifa's lawyer has said that she will appeal the death sentence. The verdict was initially announced last month but was formally confirmed after Egypt's Grand Mufti issued a religious opinion, a procedural requirement in death penalty cases

Khalifa has denied the allegations and maintained her innocence throughout the case. During a court hearing last September, she reportedly told the judge that she had never seen drugs before she was photographed with them inside the offices of Egypt's anti-narcotics authority. She also told investigators that she had never smoked a cigarette in her life.

Egyptian media reported that Khalifa broke down in court and pleaded for mercy. "Please listen to me, sir. My parents raised me well; they are people who pray, and I don't need drug money" she said. 

Prosecutors based their case on statements from 20 witnesses, along with technical and digital evidence, including messages, photographs, and videos that they said documented the group's activities, according to Al-Ahram.

Khalifa was arrested in Cairo in April 2025 as part of the investigation, with an arrest warrant issued later that year.

Egypt continues to retain the death penalty for a range of offences, including premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape offences, and drug trafficking. The use of capital punishment in drug-related cases has drawn criticism from human rights organisations.

Amnesty International reported that Egypt handed down 492 death sentences in 2025, with 23 executions carried out that year. The organisation has argued that the death penalty should be restricted under international law to crimes involving intentional killing. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, meanwhile, recorded 541 death sentences in the country during 2025, according to a report by Independent.