An Egyptian court sentenced TV presenter Sarah Khalifa and up to 11 co-defendants to death in a large-scale drug trafficking case, according to reporting from BBC News, Al Jazeera, and France 24.
Egypt maintains some of the region's harshest drug laws, with capital punishment applicable in cases involving large-scale narcotics trafficking. Death sentences in Egypt require review by the Grand Mufti, the country's top Islamic legal authority, before they can be carried out, though courts are not bound by his recommendation.
Multiple outlets, including BBC News and Al Jazeera, confirmed the sentencing. France 24 identified the presenter by name as Sarah Khalifa. The total number of defendants sentenced to death was reported as either 11 or 12 across the sourced outlets, suggesting the final figure may be subject to ongoing clarification. Details on the specific charges, the quantity of narcotics involved, and the timeline of the case were not fully specified in the available source material.
The case draws renewed scrutiny to Egypt's application of capital punishment in drug-related prosecutions. The involvement of a public media figure is likely to amplify domestic and international debate over sentencing practices. Human rights organizations have long raised concerns about due process standards in Egyptian courts, though no such commentary was directly attributed in these sources.
The defendants are expected to have the right to appeal. No execution date has been reported, and the case must undergo the standard religious review process before any sentence could be carried out.