An Egyptian court has sentenced television presenter Sarah Khalifa and 11 other defendants to death by hanging after convicting them in a major drug trafficking case.
The Cairo Criminal Court found the defendants guilty of forming an organised criminal group involved in importing materials used to manufacture synthetic drugs, with the intention of trafficking them. Authorities also accused the group of possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
Investigators reportedly seized more than 750 kilograms of narcotics and raw materials, while two residential apartments allegedly used as clandestine laboratories were also discovered.
Khalifa, 39, is known for presenting the security and crime programme “Mission Impossible.” She has denied the allegations and maintained her innocence.
The case involved 28 defendants in total. The court sentenced nine others to life imprisonment and acquitted seven defendants.
The death sentences followed consultation with Egypt’s Grand Mufti, a required step in capital cases. However, the ruling is not final and remains subject to appeal before Egypt’s higher courts.
