Egyptian court sentences TV presenter Sarah Khalifa to death in drug case

Cairo’s criminal court handed down death sentences to 12 defendants on Tuesday, including well‑known television presenter Sarah Khalifa, after finding them guilty of large‑scale drug manufacturing and trafficking. The verdict was delivered in a case prosecutors described as one of the country’s most extensive operations involving the production and distribution of illicit narcotics.

According to the court’s ruling, the accused were convicted of operating a sophisticated network that produced significant quantities of controlled substances and supplied them across multiple regions. Evidence presented included seized laboratory equipment, large drug caches and financial records linking the defendants to the trafficking ring. Under Egyptian law, drug‑related offenses of this magnitude can carry the death penalty, and the judges affirmed that the sentences were consistent with statutory provisions.

The sentences underscore Egypt’s ongoing crackdown on narcotics crimes and illustrate the judiciary’s willingness to impose the maximum penalty in cases deemed to threaten public safety. Authorities indicated that the rulings are intended to serve as a deterrent, while legal analysts noted that the verdict aligns with the country’s longstanding punitive approach to drug offenses.