CAIRO —Egyptian television presenter and social media personality Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death by hanging alongside 11 other defendants over alleged involvement in a drug trafficking network, according to Egypt’s state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper.
The Cairo Criminal Court handed down the death sentences on Saturday and also fined each of the 12 defendants 500,000 Egyptian pounds, equivalent to about $9,800.
Khalifa, who has about 2.5 million followers on Instagram and runs a beauty clinic, was accused with the other defendants of forming an organised criminal group allegedly involved in importing substances used to manufacture narcotics for trafficking.
Prosecutors also accused members of the group of possessing firearms without licences.
Authorities said they seized about 750 kilogrammes of synthetic narcotics and raw materials from a residential property allegedly used by the defendants to store and manufacture drugs.
According to prosecutors, the alleged network operated through different individuals who handled separate stages of the process, including the importation of materials used in synthetic drug production.
The prosecution said its case was supported by testimony from 20 witnesses, as well as conversations, photographs and video recordings.
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Khalifa reportedly broke down in tears during the sentencing and appealed for mercy and humanity. In a video circulating on social media, she could be heard insisting that she had never smoked a cigarette and claiming she had been wrongfully accused. CNN said it could not independently verify the footage.
The court also sentenced nine other defendants to life imprisonment, while seven people were acquitted.
Khalifa is a well-known Egyptian media personality who has hosted entertainment programmes, including a show featuring musician Hamo Bika. She also operates a beauty clinic.
Her lawyer had not publicly commented on the verdict at the time of CNN’s report.
Egypt has one of the world’s highest rates of death sentences. According to Amnesty International, Egyptian courts issued 492 death sentences in 2025, while authorities carried out 23 executions during the year.
The death sentence against Khalifa and the other defendants remains subject to Egypt’s legal procedures before it can be carried out.
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