Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa reportedly broke down in court and pleaded for mercy after being sentenced to death in a major synthetic-drugs case, insisting: “I have never smoked a cigarette in my life.”
Khalifa and 11 other defendants were condemned to hang after being found guilty of allegedly manufacturing, promoting and trafficking synthetic narcotics, as well as possessing and transporting unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The 39-year-old, widely known in Egypt for hosting the crime and security programme Mission Impossible, was convicted by a Cairo court.
According to reports cited by CNN, Khalifa shouted from the courtroom: “I swear to Almighty God, with the strongest oath, that I have been wronged.”
She reportedly cried as the sentence was delivered and appealed for “mercy and humanity”.
Khalifa is also said to have told the court that she was battling a tumour.
Before issuing the ruling, the court sought the religious opinion of Egypt’s Grand Mufti, a step required under Egyptian law in cases where the death penalty is being considered.
The verdict is not yet definitive and can still be challenged through an appeal.
Sarah Khalifa and 11 co-defendants were sentenced to death by hanging over allegations involving synthetic drugs, firearms and ammunition
State-affiliated newspaper Al-Ahram reported that prosecutors relied on testimony from 20 witnesses, together with photographs they said showed Khalifa’s alleged criminal activity.
The defendants were accused of using two apartments as sites to “store and manufacture the drugs”.
Prosecutors said investigators recovered more than 750 kilograms of synthetic narcotics and the raw ingredients allegedly intended for their production.
Nine additional defendants received life sentences, while seven others were acquitted.
Khalifa, who has 2.6 million followers on Instagram, was arrested in April last year.
She has used her substantial social-media following to promote her cosmetic surgery clinic.
MUST READ: Acupuncturist Mom Sobs in Court, Pleads Not Guilty in Deaths of 2 Children
Two other suspects sought in connection with the alleged drug network remain at large. Prosecutors said they have been placed on travel restrictions and watch lists.
Egypt uses capital punishment for a range of offences, including terrorism, premeditated murder, rape and drug trafficking.
The 39-year-old television presenter has more than 2.5 million Instagram followers
Khalifa, who owns a production company, also received a five-year prison sentence in a separate case involving the alleged kidnapping and assault of a young man
Amnesty International has previously said Egyptian courts have handed down death sentences after trials it described as “grossly unfair”.
The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms said more than 500 death sentences were issued in the country last year.
A total of 23 prisoners were executed.
Khalifa, who founded a production company, was also sentenced to five years in prison with other defendants in a separate case concerning the alleged kidnapping and assault of a young man.
When the wider case emerged in April 2025, Egypt’s Interior Ministry announced that around 200 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials had been seized. Authorities also reported recovering gold jewellery, money in Egyptian and foreign currencies, and five vehicles, which they described as proceeds of criminal activity. The value of the seizure was estimated at approximately £420 million.
Subsequent investigations raised the reported total of seized drugs and production materials to more than 750 kilograms.
Egyptian media estimated that the narcotics could have been worth more than one billion after processing and manufacture.
Khalifa established Sarah Production, a company that organised events and concerts in Egypt and several Gulf countries.
In 2024, she hosted the YouTube programme Sarah and Beka alongside festival performer Hamo Beka, welcoming musicians, artists and other celebrities.
She is also linked to a beauty centre in Cairo’s Agouza district, which she promotes through her online platforms.
