Egyptian TV personality and host Sarah Khalifa was sentenced to death by hanging by a Cairo court on Saturday, September 5 for her involvement in a major drugs trafficking network.
The entertainment star, 39, was one of 12 individuals sentenced to die after being found guilty of being part of a criminal gang that allegedly imported ingredients used to make drugs with the intent of selling them.
As per the BBC, citing Egypt’s state-owned al-Ahram newspaper, they also had illegal firearms and munitions.
Khalifa, best known for her TV programme Mission Impossible, which dealt with crime issues, boasts over three million followers on Instagram. She has denied the charges, while her attorney promised to fight the death penalty.
In a tragic statement, according to CNN, Khalifa said: “I have been wronged.”
Nine further fellow defendants have reportedly been sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted.
At trial, the court heard how authorities had seized more than 1,653lbs of narcotics and the imported raw materials used to manufacture them.
Footage began circulating on social media showing Khalifa breaking down in tears during court proceedings. As the final verdict was delivered, the TV host pleaded for mercy, claiming that she had no involvement in the alleged narcotics operation.
“I have never smoked a cigarette in my life,” she told the courtroom. “I swear to Almighty God, with the strongest oath, that I have been wronged.”
According to al-Ahram newspaper, twenty witnesses had given statements to prosecutors, in addition to electronic evidence that included conversations and video clips.
The subject of capital punishment in Egypt remains a contested topic. A 2025 Amnesty International report claimed that there were 492 death sentences handed down in the course of that year, 23 of which were carried out.