An Egyptian court has sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa (39) and 11 others to death for manufacturing and trafficking narcotics, state media reported Saturday.
Khalifa, known for hosting the crime and security program Mission Impossible, was found guilty of forming an organized criminal gang to procure materials for drug manufacturing according to state-linked newspaper Al-Ahram. The charges also included illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The Cairo court issued the death sentences by hanging after consulting Egypt's Grand Mufti with a step required by law in capital cases. The verdict can still be appealed.
State-run Akhbar el-Yom reported that the group was charged with manufacturing synthetic drugs using materials imported from abroad, intending to traffic them. Authorities seized over 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials along with two apartments used as drug labs plus unlicensed weapons and ammunition, Al-Ahram said.
In a separate case the court also sentenced Khalifa and others to five years in prison for the kidnapping and assault of a young man.
Beyond her television career Khalifa owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and a production company specializing in event management.
Egypt enforces the death penalty for crimes including premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape cases and drug trafficking. According to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms the country issued 541 death sentences in 2025.
