An Egyptian television presenter, Sarah Khalifa, 39, has been sentenced to death by hanging alongside 11 other defendants after a Cairo court convicted them in a major narcotics case involving more than 750 kilogrammes of drugs.
The Cairo Criminal Court found the defendants guilty of forming and operating an organised criminal group involved in procuring raw materials for the manufacture and trafficking of synthetic drugs.
State-linked Al-Ahram reported that nine other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted in the case involving a total of 28 defendants.
Khalifa, a television presenter known for hosting the security and crime programme Mission Impossible on Al-Mehwar TV, also operates businesses including a cosmetic surgery clinic and an events company. She reportedly has more than two million followers on Instagram.
Throughout the investigation, Khalifa denied the allegations against her, telling prosecutors that she had never smoked a cigarette and insisting that she was innocent.
During the court proceedings, Egyptian media reported that Khalifa broke down in tears and pleaded for mercy, arguing that she had been raised properly by her parents and had no reason to become involved in drug trafficking for money.
Prosecutors alleged that the criminal group imported materials from abroad for the production of synthetic drugs and stored them in residential properties before processing and distributing the narcotics.
Investigators also reportedly recovered unlicensed firearms and ammunition during the operation, in addition to the large quantity of drugs.
The death sentences are not immediately enforceable and will undergo Egypt’s prescribed legal review process before any execution can take place.
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