Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa, 39, has been sentenced to death by hanging along with 11 co-defendants for her role in an organized crime gang involved in manufacturing and trafficking drugs. The verdict was delivered in a Cairo court on Saturday.
Khalifa, known for her role on the security and crime program "Mission Impossible" and boasting 2.5 million Instagram followers, was convicted of forming an organized criminal gang specializing in producing and trafficking narcotics. Charges also included possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
Egyptian authorities seized over 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials, along with two apartments used as laboratories. State media reported that the defendants were charged with manufacturing synthetic drugs by importing necessary materials from abroad with the intent to traffic them.
The guilty verdict followed a procedure required by Egyptian law, where the Grand Mufti of Egypt was consulted for his religious opinion in capital cases. The verdict is subject to appeal.
In a separate case, Khalifa, who also owns a production company, received a five-year prison sentence along with others for a kidnapping and assault incident involving a young man.
Egypt's legal system permits the death penalty for offenses including premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape offenses, and drug trafficking. According to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, 541 death sentences were issued in the country last year.
