Who is Sarah Khalifa, the Egyptian TV presenter sentenced to death?

On her social media accounts, she flaunted a luxurious lifestyle. Trips to Paris, designer brands, and lavish parties. But on September 5th, Egyptian television presenter and influencer Sarah Khalifa was sentenced to death by hanging on drug trafficking charges, alongside 11 other defendants. According to the court, those condemned were part of a syndicate that imported substances to manufacture and traffic narcotics. Khalifa was first arrested in April 2025. After authorities seized more than 750 kilograms of synthetic drugs, as well as the raw materials used to make them from two apartments being used as laboratories. After deliberation, the court referred the case to Egypt's Grand Mufti, the country's highest authority on Islamic law, to seek his religious opinion. The death penalty was then handed down. Those condemned are still able to appeal the decision. At 39 years old, Sarah Khalifa is well known in Egypt for her show Mission Impossible, which focuses on security and crime issues. She has also hosted programs on online platforms and has over 2.5 million followers on Instagram. Egypt imposes the death penalty for several crimes, including premeditated murder, terrorism, some rape offenses, and drug trafficking. According to Amnesty International, Egypt issued 492 death sentences in 2025 and executed 23 prisoners.