Egyptian Court Sentences TV Host Sara Khalifa to Death for Drug Trafficking

A Cairo court has sentenced prominent Egyptian television presenter Sara Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging for their involvement in a large-scale drug manufacturing and trafficking ring.

Khalifa, 39, is best known as the host of the television show "Mission Impossible," which focused on security and crime issues. In addition to her media career, she owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and an event production company.

Drug Syndicate and Clandestine Labs

According to the state-run newspaper Al-Ahram, the court found Khalifa and her co-defendants guilty of establishing an organized criminal group specializing in importing raw materials from abroad to manufacture synthetic drugs for distribution. They were also convicted of possessing unlicensed weapons and ammunition.

During the investigation, Egyptian authorities seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw chemical materials. Police also uncovered two apartments that had been converted into drug manufacturing laboratories.

Additional Charges and Legal Process

In addition to the death penalty, Khalifa and several other defendants were sentenced to five years in prison in a separate case involving the abduction and assault of a young man.

The death sentences, which can still be appealed, were handed down after the court consulted Egypt's Grand Mufti for his non-binding religious opinion, a mandatory step under Egyptian law for capital cases.

Egypt imposes the death penalty for premeditated murder, terrorism, certain rape offenses, and drug trafficking. According to the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms, courts in Egypt handed down 541 death sentences in 2025.