Broadcast journalist sentenced to death in Egypt over alleged drug case

Egyptian television presenter, Sarah Khalifa, has been sentenced to death by hanging alongside 11 other people after being convicted of drug-related offences.

According to state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram as reported by the BBC, the 39-year-old presenter was found guilty of being part of a criminal gang accused of importing raw materials used in the production of narcotics for sale.

The court also convicted the group of possessing illegal firearms and ammunition.

Khalifa, who is known for hosting the crime-focused television programme Mission Impossible, has denied the allegations. Her lawyer has said she will appeal the death sentence.

Nine other defendants in the case were handed life imprisonment sentences, while seven people were acquitted.

The verdict was issued last month but was only formally confirmed after the court received an advisory opinion from Egypt’s Grand Mufti, a mandatory step in cases involving death sentences.

During the trial, prosecutors told the court that authorities had seized more than 750 kilogrammes of narcotics, along with imported materials allegedly intended for drug manufacturing.

Al-Ahram reported that prosecutors presented statements from 20 witnesses, as well as electronic evidence, including recorded conversations and video clips.

According to state-run Akhbar al-Youm newspaper, Khalifa told the court during a hearing last September that she had never seen drugs before and only appeared with them in photographs taken inside the anti-narcotics authority offices.

The case comes amid continued international scrutiny over the use of the death penalty in Egypt.

Amnesty International reported that hundreds of death sentences were issued globally in recent years, with some cases involving drug-related offences.

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