Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others have been sentenced to death by hanging for their involvement in a drug trafficking case, according to state media. The verdict, which is subject to appeal, followed a court consultation with Egypt's Grand Muft, a legal requirement for capital cases. Khalifa, 39, is best known for her program 'Mission Impossible', which focused on crime and security issues. The court convicted the defendants for forming an organized criminal gang that imported materials used in manufacturing narcotics with the intent to traffic them, as well as possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

The state-linked Al-Ahram newspaper reported that the Cairo court sentenced Khalifa and 11 others to death by hanging on charges of manufacturing and trafficking synthetic drugs. Authorities seized over 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials, along with two apartments used as laboratories and unlicensed firearms. The court also sentenced Khalifa and others to five years in prison for a separate case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man. Egypt applies the death penalty for premeditated murder, terrorism, some rape offences, and drug trafficking.

According to the BBC, Khalifa and 11 others were convicted of drug trafficking charges, with nine defendants receiving life imprisonment and seven acquitted. Khalifa's lawyer stated she would appeal the death sentence. The verdict was first announced last month but was only confirmed after the court obtained the Grand Mufti's religious opinion. During the trial, the court heard that authorities had seized over 750kg of narcotics and the materials used to make them. Twenty witnesses provided statements, and electronic evidence, including conversations and video clips, was presented.

Khalifa, during a court appearance last September, reportedly told the judge she had never seen any drugs until she was photographed with them inside the anti-narcotics authority offices. A 2025 Amnesty International report noted that there were 492 death sentences in Egypt that year, 23 of which were carried out. The report highlighted that drug trafficking and rape, which were among the charges against Khalifa, are crimes that do not amount to 'intentional killing' and that the use of the death penalty for such offenses is restricted under international law and standards.

Egypt's legal system requires the Grand Mufti's opinion for capital cases, a procedure that has been part of the country's legal framework. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms reported that 541 death sentences were issued in 2025. While the state-run Akhbar Al-Youm newspaper confirmed the charges against Khalifa and others, the BBC noted that Khalifa denied the allegations. The case has drawn attention from human rights groups, which have criticized the use of the death penalty for non-lethal crimes. The outcome of the appeal remains uncertain, and the case continues to be a subject of legal and ethical debate.