An Egyptian court has sentenced TV presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others to death for manufacturing and trafficking narcotics, according to reports from Al Jazeera and The Guardian. Khalifa, 39, is known for her program Mission Impossible, which focuses on security and crime issues.

Details of the Drug Network and Sentencing

Prosecutors stated that the group imported raw materials from abroad to manufacture synthetic drugs, storing them in residential properties; According to The Guardian, authorities seized more than 750 kg of narcotics and raw materials and found two apartments used as laboratories. The group also possessed unlicensed firearms and ammunition, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Khalifa was arrested in April 2025 as part of the investigation — the court consulted Egypt’s grand mufti for his non-binding religious opinion, as required by law in capital cases. The verdict can be appealed before the Court of Cassation under recent judicial reforms, which allow for two avenues of appeal, beginning with a request for retrial before an appeals court.

Other Charges and Legal Context

In a separate case on Saturday, the same court sentenced Khalifa to three years in prison for assaulting and filming her driver. And, the court sentenced her and others to five years in prison over a case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man, as reported by The Guardian.

Egypt applies the death penalty for premeditated murder, terrorism, some rape offenses, and drug trafficking, according to The Guardian, but In 2025 alone, 541 death sentences were issued in Egypt, according to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms.

Background on Sarah Khalifa

Sarah Khalifa, in addition to her television work, owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and a production company that specializes in organizing parties and events, according to The Guardian. During the court session, she was reported to be weeping and crying, asking 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, according to Al Jazeera.

The case has drawn attention to Egypt’s strict drug laws and the use of the death penalty in such cases; the government has not yet released statements on the broader implications of the verdict.