An Egyptian television presenter, Sarah Khalifa, has been sentenced to death by hanging on charges related to manufacturing, promoting, and trading synthetic drugs, along with possessing unlicensed firearms. Khalifa, 39, who is best known for her role in the crime and security program 'Mission Impossible,' was convicted by a Cairo court along with 11 other individuals.
During the sentencing, Khalifa reportedly pleaded for mercy, exclaiming, "I swear to Almighty God, with the strongest oath, that I have been wronged" and "I have never smoked a cigarette in my life!" Dramatic footage circulating on social media purportedly from her trial shows her weeping and begging for "mercy and humanity."
The verdict is subject to appeal and is not final. The court consulted the Grand Mufti of Egypt for his religious opinion, a required step in capital cases under Egyptian law.
According to state-linked media, the trial was supported by 20 witness statements and photographic evidence. Prosecutors allege that two apartments were used as laboratories for manufacturing and storing drugs, from which investigators seized over 750 kilograms of synthetic narcotics and related raw materials. The estimated market value of these seized substances after manufacturing was reported to be over one billion Egyptian pounds.
In addition to the death sentence, nine other defendants received life imprisonment, and seven were acquitted. Two individuals wanted in connection with the drug ring remain at large, with travel bans and watch lists reportedly in place.
Khalifa, who has a significant following on social media, was arrested in April 2025. She also owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and a production company. In a separate case, she was also sentenced to five years in prison for her involvement in the kidnapping and assault of a young man.
The death penalty is a punishment in Egypt for various crimes, including terrorism, murder, rape, and drug trafficking. Human rights organizations have previously raised concerns about the fairness of trials in capital cases in Egypt. Last year, over 500 death sentences were reportedly issued, with 23 executions carried out, according to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms.