Egyptian TV host Sarah Khalifa to appeal death sentence over drug network

According to a Euronews report, Egyptian television presenter Sarah Khalifa has been sentenced to death by a Cairo court for financing and coordinating a synthetic drug trafficking network, alongside 11 co-defendants, including her brother Mohamed. Nine others received life sentences and seven were acquitted.

Her lawyer, Mohamed El-Gendy, confirmed plans to appeal, with higher courts able to uphold, reduce or overturn the sentence. Prosecutors said Khalifa financed operations, met network members abroad and communicated via WhatsApp about drug shipments.

The case began in April 2025 after raids uncovered over 750 kilograms of synthetic cannabinoids. Khalifa also received a separate three-year sentence for assaulting her driver.