Popular Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted alongside 11 other defendants in a major drug manufacturing and trafficking case.
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The 39-year-old TV personality reportedly broke down in court as the Cairo Criminal Court handed down the death sentence on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
Khalifa, who is best known for presenting the crime and security programme Mission Impossible, had denied any involvement in the drug operation throughout the case.
During the proceedings, she pleaded with the court and said:
“Please listen to me, sir. My parents raised me well; they are people who pray, and I don’t need drug money.”
She also told investigators that she had never smoked a cigarette in her life and maintained that she was innocent of the allegations.
According to Egyptian state media, Khalifa and the other defendants were convicted of forming an organised criminal group involved in importing raw materials used to manufacture synthetic drugs, producing the narcotics and preparing them for trafficking.
Authorities said the operation involved residential properties that were used to store materials and manufacture the drugs. Investigators also seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials, as well as unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The case involved 28 defendants in total.
The court sentenced 12 defendants, including Khalifa, to death by hanging. Nine others received life imprisonment, while seven defendants were acquitted.
Before issuing the capital sentences, the court referred the defendants’ cases to Egypt’s Grand Mufti for a religious opinion, a procedure required in death-penalty cases.
However, the ruling is not final. Khalifa and the other convicted defendants can appeal the decision through Egypt’s judicial system.
Khalifa was arrested in April 2025 as authorities investigated the drug case. She has continued to deny involvement in the alleged criminal operation.
Aside from her television career, Khalifa owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and an event production business. She also has a large social media following, with reports putting her Instagram audience at more than two million followers.
The latest ruling has placed the Egyptian television personality at the centre of one of the country’s major drug cases, although the death sentence remains subject to appeal.
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