A court in Cairo sentenced Egyptian television presenter and producer Sara Khalifa and 11 defendants to death. The defendants were convicted of crimes linked to the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs.
The court found the defendants guilty of forming a criminal organization to smuggle substances used in drug production into the country and conduct their illegal trade. The ruling was announced in the presence of the defendants and with the unanimous agreement of the panel.
The court consulted the republic's Grand Mufti before announcing the ruling. In the same case, which involved a total of 28 defendants, nine received life sentences and seven were acquitted.
Findings of the investigation
The investigation found that the defendants had formed a criminal organization engaged in the production and distribution of synthetic drugs. Some members of the organization procured raw materials for production from abroad, while others carried out the production and distribution.
The drugs and production materials were stored in a residence, where the drugs were also produced. The operation seized more than 750 kilograms of synthetic drugs and raw materials used in production.