Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa was among 12 accused sentenced to death by hanging on Saturday over their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking network, according to Egyptian state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram.
Cairo’s Criminal Court also fined each of them 500,000 Egyptian pounds (about $9,800), Al-Ahram reported. The 12 were accused of forming an organized criminal group that allegedly specialized in importing substances used to manufacture narcotics for trafficking.
They were also accused of possessing firearms without licences, according to the newspaper. The court sentenced nine other defendants to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted. Prosecutors alleged that the network imported materials needed to produce synthetic drugs from abroad, with different members assigned to various stages of the operation.
Authorities said they seized 750 kilograms of synthetic narcotics and other raw materials from a residential property that prosecutors alleged was being used to store and manufacture the drugs. The prosecution’s case was based on testimony from 20 witnesses, as well as conversations, photographs and video recordings, according to Al-Ahram.
Khalifa, who has about 2.5 million Instagram followers, reportedly wept during the sentencing and appealed for “mercy and humanity,” according to footage circulating on social media. The footage had not been independently verified. In the footage, she denied wrongdoing, saying she had never smoked a cigarette and insisting that she had been wronged. The case comes against the backdrop of Egypt’s continued use of the death penalty.
Amnesty International reported that Egyptian courts issued 492 death sentences in 2025, among the highest recorded figures globally, while 23 prisoners were executed.
