The Cairo Criminal Court handed down the death sentences after finding the defendants guilty of forming an organised criminal gang involved in procuring materials used to manufacture narcotics with the intention of trafficking them, Al Jazeera reported, citing the state-linked Al-Ahram newspaper.

The court also sentenced nine other defendants to life imprisonment and acquitted seven in a case involving 28 people and more than 750 kg of narcotics, according to reports.

Khalifa has denied the charges.

Who is Sarah Khalifa?

Khalifa, 39, is known for hosting the television programme Mission Impossible, which focused on crime-related issues.

Her lawyer has said that she will appeal the death sentence, the BBC reported.

According to media reports, Khalifa broke down in tears during the court hearing and appealed for mercy.

“Please listen to me, sir. My parents raised me well; they are people who pray, and I don’t need drug money,” she was quoted as saying in court by Al Jazeera, citing Egyptian media reports.

Khalifa was arrested in 2025 as part of the investigation into the case.

She has a significant social media following, with around 2.5 million followers on Instagram.

According to media reports, Khalifa was briefly married to former Egyptian footballer Mahmoud Kahraba in 2016.

Amnesty International’s monitoring of the global use of the death penalty recorded 2,707 executions in 2025, a 78% increase from 1,518 executions in 2024.