A prominent Egyptian television personality, Sarah Khalifa, has been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of manufacturing and trafficking narcotics. Khalifa, 39, and 11 co-defendants received the verdict in a Cairo court on Saturday. Her legal team is currently appealing the ruling.
Khalifa, best known for her crime and security-themed program "Mission Impossible," faces her sentence in the Badr Prison Complex, located approximately 40 miles northeast of Cairo. Since its opening in 2021, the facility has been the subject of numerous accusations of human rights abuses from international organizations.
Reports from human rights groups allege that inmates at Badr Prison are subjected to severe mistreatment, including sexual harassment, electric shocks, and being restrained to walls for extended periods without food or water. In 2023, 38 global human rights organizations condemned the complex, citing reports of widespread torture, constant bright lighting, and denial of basic necessities. Some detainees have reportedly attempted suicide or engaged in hunger strikes due to the conditions.
Khalifa denies the charges against her. Her lawyer, Dr. Mohamed El-Gindi, has stated that there are significant legal and procedural issues with the trial and the evidence presented. He has expressed concern for Khalifa's well-being while she is detained at Badr.
The charges against Khalifa and her co-defendants include manufacturing, promoting, and trading synthetic drugs, as well as illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. The prosecution claims that over 750 kilograms of narcotics and related materials were seized from apartments used as laboratories. The verdict is not final, and the defense intends to challenge both the conviction and the sentence.
In addition to the death sentence, Khalifa received a five-year prison term in a separate case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man. The total value of narcotics and raw materials seized in the drug case was estimated to exceed one billion Egyptian pounds.
The Badr Prison Complex was established around the same time Egypt launched its National Human Rights Strategy, which emphasized jail modernization and inmate dignity. However, reports of mistreatment emerged shortly after prisoners began transferring from the older Tora Prison Complex. Amnesty International has described conditions at Badr as comparable to or worse than those at Tora, citing instances of prisoners being held in cold cells with continuous lighting and restricted access to food, clothing, and books.
Concerns have also been raised about the prison's digital hearing system, which prevents detainees from appearing physically in court, potentially violating fair trial rights. International rights organizations have condemned recent deteriorations in prison conditions, including a mass hunger strike in response to widespread power cuts during an extreme heatwave in May 2024, which left prisoners in dangerous conditions and unable to use fans or prepare food. Surveillance cameras and lighting reportedly remained operational during the power outages.
Dramatic videos circulating on social media appear to show Khalifa distressed during her sentencing, crying out her innocence. Her lawyer acknowledged the footage but emphasized that it should be viewed within the context of the high-pressure legal proceedings.