Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death for an alleged drug trafficking scheme.
Cairo's Criminal Court ordered Khalifa, 39, and 11 others to death by hanging and a fine of 500,000 Egyptian pounds, which equates to approximately $9,800, on Saturday, Sept. 5, according to state-run newspaper al-Ahram. They all have the right to appeal the verdict before the country's highest court, the Court of Cassation.
Khalifa, a popular television personality, was among 28 people charged with "forming an organized criminal group specializing in importing raw materials used in the manufacture of synthetic narcotics, to produce and traffic the drugs, as well as possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition," al-Ahram reported.
In addition
to the 12 death sentences, nine were given life in prison and seven were acquitted. Two defendants remain at large.
Khalifa has denied the allegations and her attorney told BBC she will be appealing her death sentence.
Khalifa, who has 2.6 million Instagram followers, is a TV personality in the North African country known best for hosting her crime- and security-focused program "Mission Impossible," as well as cohosting a 2024 online entertainment show with musician Hamo Bika. Khalifa also owns her own beauty clinic in Egypt.
Per al-Ahram, Khalifa was arrested in Cairo in April 2025. Prosecutors reportedly said she was part of a group that divided roles among themselves to import, manufacture, store and distribute illegal drugs.
The investigation resulted in the seizure of more than 750 kilograms of synthetic narcotics and raw materials used in their production, according to al-Ahram. The case reportedly included testimony from 20 witnesses and evidence including messages, photographs and videos.
Egypt has one of the highest rates of death sentences in the world, issuing 492 in 2025 and executing 23 of those, according to Amnesty International.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa sentenced to death in drug case
