Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death along with 11 others for their involvement in a major case of drug manufacture and trafficking. The court found them guilty of forming an organized crime group, possessing unlicensed firearms, and importing raw materials used to produce synthetic drugs. In this case, law enforcement officials seized over 750 kilogrammes of drugs and raw materials during raids on the defendants' properties. Khalifa's death sentence is subject to appeal, but she is also serving a five-year prison term for her role in the abduction and assault of a young man in a separate case.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-07,
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same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Sarah Khalifa, a 39-year-old Egyptian TV presenter, has been sentenced to death by hanging along with 11 others for their involvement in a massive drug trafficking ring. The group was accused of forming an organized criminal gang that imported materials from abroad to manufacture synthetic drugs, with the intent to traffic them. According to reports, investigators seized over 750kg of narcotics and materials used to manufacture them. Khalifa, who is best known for hosting the TV program "Mission Impossible", denied the allegations against her and claimed she had never smoked a cigarette in her life. The verdict came after the court consulted the Grand Mufti of Egypt for his religious opinion, as required by Egyptian law in capital cases. Khalifa's lawyer has stated that they will appeal the death sentence. Nine others were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven defendants were acquitted in the case.
Written for “Egyptian TV Presenter Sentenced” on 2026-09-07,
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Leaning score +0.15 for article 6803 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-07
In Egypt, a court sentenced 12 people, including popular TV presenter Sarah Khalifa, to death in a major drug manufacturing and trafficking case.
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court → sentence → case
In Egypt, well-known television presenter Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death along with 11 others in a major case involving drug manufacture and trafficking.
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Khalifa → know → manufacture
According to reports carried in the state-run press on Saturday, the 39-year-old Khalifa was known for her programme Mission Impossible, which covered security and crime issues.
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which → accord → issues
State-affiliated newspaper Al-Ahram reported that a court in Cairo convicted Khalifa and the 11 other defendants of offences including "forming an organised criminal group to procure substances used in drug manufacture for the purpose of trafficking, and possessing and transporting unlicensed firearms and ammunition", and handed them death sentences.
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court → affiliate → sentences
The verdict was announced after consultation with Egypt's Grand Mufti for a religious opinion, in line with the procedures laid down in Egyptian law for capital cases.
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verdict → announce → cases
The court's ruling can be appealed.
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ruling → appeal → ?
State media outlet Akhbar El-Yom said that Khalifa, who also owns a cosmetic clinic and an events company, and the other defendants were accused of "importing raw materials used in production from abroad to manufacture synthetic drugs and trade in them".
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who → say → them
El-Ahram said law enforcement officers seized more than 750 kilogrammes of drugs and raw materials during the raids, as well as two flats used as laboratories and numerous unlicensed firearms and rounds of ammunition.
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officers → say → ammunition
The court also sentenced Khalifa and some of the defendants to five years in prison each in a separate case over the abduction and assault of a young man.
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court → sentence → man
In Egypt, the death penalty is applied in cases of premeditated murder, terrorism, certain sexual assault offences and drug trafficking.
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penalty → apply → murder
According to figures from the Egyptian Rights and Freedoms Commission, 541 death sentences were handed down in the country in 2025.
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sentences → accord → 2025
