Egyptian media personality Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted in a sweeping synthetic drug case involving more than two dozen defendants.
Khalifa, a former television host and beauty clinic owner with more than 2.5 million Instagram followers, was among 12 defendants handed death sentences Saturday by a Cairo Criminal Court.
The ruling followed a lengthy investigation into what prosecutors described as an organized narcotics network involved in manufacturing and distributing synthetic drugs.
Khalifa was arrested in Cairo in April 2025 as authorities investigated the alleged operation.
Before her arrest, Khalifa had built a significant public profile in Egypt through television appearances and social media.
She previously worked for several Egyptian television channels and at one point hosted the crime program “Mission Impossible,” according to Egyptian outlet Masrawy.
Prosecutors accused the defendants of participating in an organized operation that imported raw materials used in the production of synthetic narcotics.
Authorities said members of the alleged network were assigned specific responsibilities, including obtaining materials, producing drugs and distributing the finished narcotics.
Investigators also alleged that a residential property was being used to store materials and manufacture illegal substances.
Authorities ultimately seized more than 750 kilograms — approximately 1,653 pounds — of synthetic drugs and raw materials connected to the case.
Khalifa was among 28 defendants prosecuted.
In addition to the 12 defendants sentenced to death, nine others received life sentences while seven defendants were acquitted.
The court also convicted defendants in the case of possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
Prosecutors relied on testimony from 20 witnesses as they built their case against the defendants.
Authorities also presented technical and digital evidence, including messages, photographs and videos that prosecutors said documented elements of the alleged drug operation.
The prosecution further placed defendants’ assets and bank accounts under precautionary measures while ordering those already in custody to remain detained.
Before imposing the death sentences, the court sought the opinion of Egypt’s Grand Mufti.
Consulting the Grand Mufti is a required procedural step before an Egyptian court issues a capital sentence, although the Mufti’s opinion is advisory and does not bind the court.
Khalifa’s sentence is not yet final.
She and the other convicted defendants retain the right to appeal their convictions and sentences before Egypt’s Court of Cassation, the country’s highest court for criminal cases.
The case marks a dramatic fall for Khalifa, who had established herself as a recognizable television personality and social media figure before her arrest.
Her sentencing has drawn additional attention because of the severity of the punishment and the scale of the narcotics case surrounding it.
The prosecution alleged the network was not limited to simple possession or street-level dealing, but instead involved organized drug production, imported manufacturing materials and coordinated distribution, per Trending Politics.
With appeals still available, Khalifa’s legal case is expected to continue before any death sentence could become final.
