Egyptian Court Sentences TV Presenter to Death for Drugs

On Saturday, an Egyptian court sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa, 39, and 11 others to death by hanging for their involvement in manufacturing and trafficking narcotics. Khalifa, known for her program “Mission Impossible,” was convicted alongside the others for forming an organized criminal gang that procured materials for drug manufacturing and possessed unlicensed firearms.

The court's decision followed consultation with the Grand Mufti of Egypt, as required by law in capital cases. The defendants were also sentenced to five years in prison for a separate case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man.

Authorities reported seizing over 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials, along with two apartments used as laboratories. Egypt applies the death penalty for premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape offenses, and drug trafficking.

The verdict is subject to appeal, and according to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, 541 death sentences were issued in Egypt in 2025.