An Egyptian criminal court has handed down death sentences to 12 people, including well-known TV presenter Sarah Khalifa, after convicting them of running a drug-trafficking operation. According to the state-owned newspaper al-Ahram, the group imported chemical ingredients used to manufacture narcotics, intending to sell the finished product, and also possessed illegal firearms and ammunition.
Khalifa, 39, hosted the crime-focused program “Mission Impossible” and has maintained her innocence throughout the case. Nine other defendants were sentenced to life in prison, and seven were acquitted of all charges. Her lawyer says she plans to appeal the death sentence.
The court first announced its verdict last month but only finalized it recently, after obtaining a formal religious opinion from Egypt’s grand mufti — a step required by law before any death sentence can be carried out. During the trial, authorities said they had confiscated more than 750 kilograms (roughly 1,650 pounds) of drugs and raw materials, along with testimony from 20 witnesses and digital evidence including recorded conversations and videos, according to state media. Khalifa reportedly told the judge she had never seen the drugs until she was photographed with them at anti-narcotics offices.
The case comes amid scrutiny of Egypt’s use of capital punishment. Amnesty International recorded 492 death sentences issued in the country last year, 23 of which were carried out, and has criticized the practice of applying the death penalty to drug and rape convictions that fall outside crimes considered “intentional killing” under international law.
Read the full story at BBC News for more details.
Source: TV presenter among 12 sentenced to death in Egypt drugs case (feeds.bbci.co.uk). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: srqpix, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).