Popular Egyptian TV Presenter Sarah Khalifa faces appeal battle after death sentence
Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa is facing a death sentence after being convicted in a major synthetic drug manufacturing and trafficking case in Cairo.
Khalifa, known for hosting the crime programme Mission Impossible, was sentenced alongside 11 others, while nine defendants received life imprisonment and seven were acquitted.
Her lawyer, Mohamed El-Gendy, said the defence will appeal the ruling and pursue all available legal options. A higher criminal court can review the evidence and the defendants’ roles before upholding, reducing or overturning the sentences.
Prosecutors accused Khalifa of financing parts of the drug operation and coordinating with senior members of the network. Her brother Mohamed was also sentenced to death over allegations of manufacturing and testing synthetic drugs.
The case began in April 2025 after anti-narcotics authorities uncovered a suspected network importing materials used to manufacture synthetic drugs. Police initially seized about 200 kilograms of drugs, raw materials and equipment, with investigators later reporting that total seizures exceeded 750 kilograms.
The case has drawn attention because forensic evidence identified the substances as synthetic cannabinoids, which can cause severe effects including psychosis, seizures and heart problems. Khalifa’s defence challenged the legal interpretation of the substances, but the court accepted the prosecution’s case.
The death sentences are not necessarily final, as the defendants can continue challenging the verdict through Egypt’s legal system. Khalifa’s appeal could therefore determine whether the death sentence is upheld, reduced or overturned.
