An appeal is being prepared against the death sentence handed down by the Cairo Criminal Court to television producer and former presenter Sara Khalifa, her brother Mohammed and 10 defendants in Egypt. Khalifa’s lawyer, Mohamed al-Gendy, said his client was being held at Badr Prison in Cairo and that they were waiting for her to sign the appeal petition.
Al-Gendy said the appeal would be submitted to the Cairo Prosecution for Appeals within a few days. The lawyer said they respected judicial decisions and expected the verdict to be overturned in full at the appeals stage. He based this expectation on claims that the ruling relied on a provision considered unconstitutional and that procedural errors had been made.
The lawyer also said that Khalifa was not wearing the red clothing reserved for prisoners sentenced to death. He said female prisoners did not wear this clothing in line with the instructions of correctional facilities.
Verdicts handed down in the Cairo case
The court found the defendants guilty of forming an organized criminal group to bring in and manufacture narcotic substances for commercial purposes. Some defendants were also charged with possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
The verdict also ordered the convicted defendants to pay a total fine of 500,000 Egyptian pounds. Nine defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment, while seven were acquitted. The total number of defendants who received verdicts in the case reached 28.
Khalifa denied the charges before the verdict and said she had never smoked even a single cigarette in her life.
Information on the investigation and appeals process
The case has been ongoing for more than a year since the prosecution referred the file to the criminal court in July 2025. The defendants were detained and questioned as part of the case, which also involved an Iraqi fugitive.
Egypt’s Interior Ministry announced in April 2025 that narcotic substances and raw materials that could be used in their production had been seized. The ministry valued the confiscated materials at approximately 420 million Egyptian pounds, or about $8.3 million.
During the trial, which lasted approximately five months, the prosecution requested the death penalty for the defendants in June. Before the death sentences were issued, the case was sent to Egypt’s grand mufti on August 4 for an opinion, as required by Egyptian law in such cases.
Under Egyptian law, defendants can appeal a first-instance criminal court’s decision to the criminal appeals court. The higher court can uphold or amend the decision, or order the case to be reconsidered, after reviewing the defenses and grounds for appeal.
Following the appeals court’s decision, defendants can also apply to the Court of Cassation as a further avenue of appeal. In Egypt, this court serves as the highest appellate authority, particularly in criminal cases.
Drug and weapons charges in the case file
More than 750 kilograms of processed narcotic substances and raw materials used in their production, as well as unlicensed firearms and ammunition belonging to some defendants, were seized in connection with the case.
According to the account in the investigation file, the defendants divided responsibilities among themselves. The account said some individuals purchased raw materials and brought them in from abroad, others converted two residences into secret laboratories for production, and another group was responsible for storing and distributing the substances.
About Sara Khalifa
Born in Cairo on March 29, 1994, Sara Khalifa presented entertainment programs and worked in television production and the beauty industry. Following the verdict, her name became one of the most discussed topics on social media platforms. Calls for harsher punishments for drug dealers also emerged.
