Egyptian TV host known for crime show sentenced to death

Egyptian television host Sarah Khalifa, known for the crime and security program Mission Impossible, has been sentenced to death by hanging along with 11 other defendants in a Cairo case involving alleged large-scale drug production and trafficking.

The ruling, reported by Egyptian state media and cited by The Guardian, followed allegations that the defendants formed a gang, imported materials from abroad to manufacture synthetic drugs, and sold them on the market. Prosecutors also accused them of possessing and carrying firearms and ammunition without permits.

Authorities said they seized more than 750 kilograms of drugs and materials used to produce drugs. Two apartments allegedly served as production sites, where investigators also found unlicensed guns and ammunition.

The court sought the opinion of Egypt’s Grand Mufti before issuing the death sentences, as required under Egyptian law in capital cases. Khalifa and the other defendants retain the right to appeal.

Khalifa, 39, also received a five-year prison sentence in a separate case involving the kidnapping and assault of a young man, according to the report. Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram said she owns a cosmetic surgery clinic and an events and party production company. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms said 541 death sentences were issued in Egypt in 2025.