An Egyptian court has sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 others to death for manufacturing and trafficking synthetic drugs, according to official state media.
A Cairo court found the defendants guilty of running an organised criminal group involved in producing narcotics and possessing unlicensed weapons and ammunition.
State-linked local media outlet reported that the court sentenced Khalifa, 39, and the other defendants to death by hanging after charging them with procuring materials used to manufacture narcotics with the intention of trafficking them.
The court also consulted Egypt’s Grand Mufti for a religious opinion before issuing the death sentences, a procedure required under Egyptian law in capital cases.
The verdict can still be appealed.
Khalifa is known for hosting Mission Impossible, a television programme focused on security and crime-related issues. She also owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and a production company that organises parties and events.
According to a state-run media outlet, prosecutors accused the defendants of manufacturing synthetic drugs for trafficking after importing the materials required for production from abroad.
Authorities seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials during the investigation. Investigators also found two apartments that the group allegedly used as laboratories, along with unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The court separately sentenced Khalifa and several other defendants to five years in prison in a case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man.
Egypt allows the death penalty in cases including premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape offences and drug trafficking.
The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms reported that Egyptian courts issued 541 death sentences in 2025.
