A Cairo criminal court sentenced television host Sarah Khalifa, 39, and 11 other defendants to death by hanging on Saturday after convicting them of forming an organized gang that imported materials used to manufacture synthetic drugs for trafficking.
Khalifa has more than two million followers on social media.
Nine co-defendants received life sentences. Seven of the 28 people charged were acquitted.
State newspaper Al-Ahram said the death sentences were unanimous and issued after Egypt’s Grand Mufti gave the opinion required by law.
Prosecutors said more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and materials were seized.
They cited statements from 20 witnesses and electronic evidence including messages, photos, and video.
Khalifa was arrested in Cairo in April 2025. She has denied the drug charges and shouted that she was innocent when the verdict was read.
Al Jazeera reports:
Khalifa denied the charges and told investigators she had “never smoked a cigarette in my life” and declared her innocence.
Egyptian media reported that she was weeping and crying during the session, asking the court for mercy: “Please listen to me, sir. My parents raised me well; they are people who pray, and I don’t need drug money”
Prosecutors said the gang imported raw materials from abroad to manufacture synthetic drugs, storing them in residential properties. Members divided roles between procurement, manufacturing and distribution, authorities said. Investigators seized unlicensed firearms and ammunition alongside the narcotics.
The prosecution said the group used a residential property to store the materials and manufacture the drugs.
Khalifa hosted the Al-Mehwar crime and security program Mission Impossible. She also operated a cosmetic clinic and an events company.
Her lawyers said they will appeal.
