Egyptian TV presenter Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death by hanging after a Cairo court convicted her and 11 others in a major drug manufacturing and trafficking case. Here is what the prosecution alleged, the evidence presented and what happens next.
Egyptian television presenter and producer Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death by hanging alongside 11 other defendants in a major drug case that has attracted widespread attention across Egypt.
The Cairo Criminal Court delivered the verdict on Saturday, September 5, 2026, after the court received the opinion of Egypt’s Grand Mufti, a required step in capital cases. The Mufti’s opinion is advisory rather than binding on the court.
Khalifa, 39, is known for presenting Mission Impossible, a programme dealing with security and crime issues.
As the verdict was delivered, Khalifa reportedly protested her innocence.
“I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life. I swear to God, I’m innocent.”
The statement was reported after she reacted to the death sentence in court.
28 defendants were in the case
The case was much larger than the 12 people who received death sentences.
According to Egyptian court reports, 28 defendants were prosecuted altogether.
The final verdicts were:
- 12 defendants, including Sarah Khalifa, were sentenced to death.
- Nine defendants received life imprisonment.
- Seven defendants were acquitted.
The death sentences were issued unanimously by the court after the Grand Mufti’s opinion had been obtained. The convicted defendants have the right to appeal before Egypt’s Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court for criminal cases.
This means Khalifa’s death sentence is not the same as an immediate execution. The case can proceed through the appeal process.
What was Sarah Khalifa accused of?
The prosecution accused Khalifa and the other defendants of forming an organised criminal group involved in obtaining materials used to manufacture synthetic drugs, producing the drugs and trafficking them.
Prosecutors alleged that the group imported raw materials from abroad and divided responsibilities among its members.
According to the prosecution’s case, some members were responsible for bringing in the raw materials, others handled manufacturing, while others were involved in distributing the finished drugs.
The prosecution also accused members of the group of possessing and carrying unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
More than 750kg of drugs and raw materials seized
One of the most serious details presented in the case was the quantity of material investigators said they recovered.
Authorities reportedly seized more than 750 kilograms of synthetic narcotics and raw materials used in their production.
Investigators also reportedly discovered two apartments that were allegedly being used as laboratories for manufacturing the drugs. Firearms and ammunition were also seized, according to reports citing the prosecution’s case.
The prosecution alleged that a residential property was being used to store materials and manufacture the drugs.
How did the case reach the prosecution?
The case against Khalifa and the other defendants was built through an investigation that included witness testimony as well as technical and digital evidence.
Egypt’s Public Prosecution eventually referred 28 defendants to the Cairo Criminal Court.
According to Al-Ahram, the prosecution relied on statements from 20 witnesses, together with technical and digital evidence, including messages, photographs and videos that prosecutors said documented the alleged criminal activities.
Investigators also took financial measures against the suspects.
The prosecution ordered precautionary measures affecting their assets and bank accounts. Defendants who remained at large were placed on travel-ban and watch lists, while those already in custody remained detained.
When was Sarah Khalifa arrested?
Khalifa was arrested in April 2025 as part of the investigation.
Court reporting indicates that an arrest warrant was issued on April 17, 2025. Khalifa told prosecutors that she was arrested that day, while the formal seizure report was dated April 19.
The investigation subsequently expanded into a major case involving 28 defendants.
Khalifa denied the allegations
Despite the prosecution’s case, Khalifa has maintained her innocence.
Her reaction after the verdict was emphatic, with the presenter reportedly insisting that she had never even smoked a cigarette and declaring that she was innocent.
Her denial will now be considered within the appeal process as the case moves to the next stage.
A separate case involving Khalifa
The drug case was not the only legal matter involving Khalifa.
The court also handed down a separate prison sentence connected to allegations involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man.
Reports said Khalifa and others were sentenced to prison in connection with that separate case.
The separate proceedings arose after investigators reportedly uncovered evidence connected to the alleged assault during the wider investigation.
What happens after the death sentence?
The most important point for readers is that Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death, but she has not been executed.
Under the Egyptian legal process, defendants sentenced to death can challenge the verdict before the Court of Cassation.
The court had already referred the capital sentences to Egypt’s Grand Mufti before issuing the final verdict. The Mufti’s opinion is required in capital cases but is not binding on the court.
Khalifa’s case can therefore continue through the appeal process, meaning the Saturday verdict may not be the final legal outcome.
For now, however, the Cairo Criminal Court has found her guilty and sentenced her to death.
The case has become one of Egypt’s most closely watched recent criminal proceedings because of the number of defendants involved, the quantity of drugs and manufacturing materials investigators said they seized, and the fact that one of those sentenced to death is a well-known television personality.
Sarah Khalifa’s legal battle is therefore far from over.
Also Read : Sarah Khalifa Drug Case Explained: Charges, Evidence and Court Verdict
