Egypt sentences TV host Sara Khalifa and 11 others to death for drugs

The Cairo Criminal Court has sentenced television host and producer Sara Khalifa alongside 11 others to death by hanging on charges of forming an organized crime syndicate to manufacture and traffic illicit drugs, state newspaper Al-Ahram reported.

The defendants were convicted of illicit drug processing, cross-border smuggling of narcotics precursors, and unauthorized possession of firearms and ammunition. Security forces dismantled the operation across two makeshift residential laboratories, seizing over 750 kilograms of illicit substances and chemical compounds. The ruling followed formal review by Egypt's Grand Mufti and remains subject to appeal.

The 39-year-old broadcaster, known for hosting a crime-focused television program on private network Al-Mehwar, was implicated in a broader prosecution that encompassed 27 suspects. Khalifa was previously sentenced to five years in prison in a separate kidnapping and assault case.

N.Tebrizli