Death Sentence for Presenter Sara Khalifa in 'Major Drugs' Case

The Cairo Criminal Court on Saturday sentenced Egyptian TV presenter and producer Sara Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging after convicting them in the case publicly known as the 'Major Drugs' case, which relates to forming a criminal organization to import and traffic materials used in manufacturing synthetic drugs.

The verdict was delivered in person and with the unanimous opinion of the court panel, following the receipt of the religious opinion of the Grand Mufti of the Republic. The court also sentenced 9 defendants to life imprisonment and acquitted 7 others, bringing the total number of defendants in the case to 28.

The verdict comes about a month after the court's decision to refer the cases of Sara Khalifa and several other defendants to the Grand Mufti, a mandatory legal procedure in Egypt before issuing death sentences, although the Mufti's opinion is advisory and not binding on the court.

The case dates back to July 2025, when the Public Prosecution referred Sara Khalifa and 27 other defendants to the Criminal Court, accusing them of forming a criminal organization specializing in importing raw materials used to manufacture synthetic drugs from abroad, then producing, promoting, and trafficking them within the country.

According to the prosecution's investigations, the roles were divided among the organization's members; some were responsible for purchasing and importing the raw materials, while others handled manufacturing, and a third team was in charge of storing and distributing the drugs.

The investigations revealed that the defendants used a residential property as a headquarters for storing raw materials and manufacturing drugs, and that the total amount of seized synthetic drugs and manufacturing materials exceeded 750 kilograms.

The charges against some of the defendants also included possession of firearms and ammunition without a license.

According to investigations, Sara Khalifa was responsible for providing part of the necessary funding for the organization's activities (her personal Instagram account)

According to investigations, Sara Khalifa was responsible for providing part of the necessary funding for the organization's activities, traveled outside Egypt to meet two of the defendants and coordinate with them regarding the purchase and importation of raw materials, as well as facilitating communication between them and the rest of the organization's members.

The investigation indicated that the organization was led by an Iraqi defendant and an Egyptian one, with the remaining roles divided between managing its activities, recruiting participants for importing raw materials, and manufacturing and distributing the drugs.

In its decision to refer the case to trial, the prosecution relied on the testimonies of 20 people, in addition to digital and technical evidence including conversations, photos, and video clips that investigators said documented aspects of the defendants' alleged activities.

Following the exposure of the case, investigative authorities decided to inventory the defendants' properties, uncover their bank accounts, and seize their funds and assets. They also placed fugitive defendants on travel ban and arrival watch lists, while the remaining defendants were kept in custody pending the case.

Another Case and a Prison Sentence

Concurrent with the verdict in the drug case, the Cairo Criminal Court sentenced Sara Khalifa in a separate case to 3 years of rigorous imprisonment after convicting her of filming and committing indecent assault against her driver in her home.

In the same case, the court sentenced two other defendants to 7 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fourth defendant to one year in prison.

The facts of this case were uncovered during the investigation of the drug file, after a video clip documenting the assault on the driver was found. According to investigations, the victim was detained inside Sara Khalifa's residence before being assaulted, stripped of his clothes, and filmed.

The death sentence issued in the drug case remains subject to appeal before the competent judicial authorities and is therefore not a final, enforceable verdict at this stage.