TV presenter among 11 sentenced to death in Egypt drugs case

Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other people have been sentenced to death by hanging after being convicted of drugs charges.

De acordo com o jornal estatal al‑Akhram, eles faziam parte de um gangue criminal que importava ingredientes usados para fabricar drogas com a intenção de vendê-las.

They also had illegal firearms and munitions.

Khalifa, 39, é mais conhecida por seu programa de TV Mission Impossible, que abordava questões criminais. Ela negou as acusações.

The verdict - which can be appealed against - was first announced last month.

However, it was only confirmed a month later after the court obtained a religious opinion from the grand mufti of Egypt - a legal requirement in death sentence cases.

During the trial, the court heard that authorities had seized more than 750kg (1,653lbs) of narcotics and the imported raw materials to make them.

Vinte testemunhas haviam prestado depoimentos aos promotores, disse al‑Akhram, além de evidências eletrônicas que incluíam conversas e clipes de vídeo.

According to the state-run Akhbar al-Youm newspaper, when asked by the judge about her alleged role during a court appearance last September, Khalifa said she had never seen any drugs until she was photographed with them inside the anti-narcotics authority offices.

According to a 2025 Amnesty International report, there were 492 death sentences in the course of the year, 23 of whom were executed, external.

The defendants were found guilty of drug trafficking and rape, "crimes that did not amount to 'intentional killing' to which the use of the death penalty must be restricted under international law and standards", the report said.