An Egyptian television presenter, Sarah Khalifa, has been sentenced to death along with 11 others for her role in an organized crime gang involved in drug manufacturing and trafficking. Khalifa, 39, is best known for her appearances on "Mission Impossible," an Egyptian program that addresses security and crime issues. She also maintains a significant online presence with 2.5 million Instagram followers.
The Cairo court handed down the death sentence by hanging on Saturday. State-linked newspaper Al-Ahram reported that Khalifa and the other defendants were found guilty of forming an organized criminal gang specializing in producing materials for narcotics manufacturing with the intent to traffic them, as well as possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
Authorities reportedly seized over 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials. Two apartments were discovered to have been used as laboratories, and unlicensed firearms and ammunition were also confiscated. The defendants were charged with manufacturing synthetic drugs by importing necessary materials from abroad, according to state media.
The guilty verdict followed a required consultation with the Grand Mufti of Egypt, who provided a religious opinion as mandated by Egyptian law in capital cases. The verdict is subject to appeal.
In addition to the death sentence, Khalifa, who owns a production company, also received a five-year prison sentence in a separate case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man.
Egypt's legal system permits the death penalty for offenses including premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape charges, and drug trafficking. In the previous year, approximately 541 death sentences were issued in the country, according to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms.