The Cairo Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced TV host Sarah Khalifa and 12 other defendants to death in a major drug case.
The court referred the cases to the Grand Mufti of Egypt and set Sept 5 for the issuance of the verdict.
Referral to the Grand Mufti is required in Egypt before a death sentence can be issued, although the Mufti’s opinion is advisory and not binding on the court.
Khalifa and 27 other defendants appeared at the courthouse on Tuesday for the trial, during which the defence completed its arguments.
Investigation uncovered alleged drug organisation
According to the investigation, the defendants had formed a criminal organisation to manufacture and traffic synthetic drugs.
The group allegedly imported raw materials from abroad, with members assigned different roles involving importation, manufacturing and distribution.
The investigation also found that a residential property had been used as a base to store and manufacture the drugs.
More than 750kg of narcotics and raw materials used in their production were seized, according to the investigation.
Authorities freeze assets
Following the findings, the Public Prosecution issued several urgent decisions, including orders to inventory the defendants’ assets, disclose the confidentiality of their bank accounts and freeze their funds.
Fugitive defendants were also placed on travel ban and arrival watch lists.
The decision to refer the defendants to trial was based on the testimonies of 20 witnesses, along with the evidence compiled during the investigation.
