The Cairo Criminal Court, on Tuesday, has issued a death sentence for TV host Sarah Khalifa and 12 other defendants, and referred their case to the Grand Mufti of Egypt, setting September 5th as the date for the issuing the verdict.
Referral to the Mufti is required in the Egyptian court system ahead of any death sentences even though the mufti’s opinion is advisory, not binding.
Khalifa and the 27 other defendants arrived at the courthouse on Tuesday, to attend their trial for their involvement in a “Grand Drug Case” which saw the defense’s arguments completed.
The investigation revealed that the defendants had formed a criminal organization aimed at manufacturing and trafficking synthetic drugs.
They imported raw materials from abroad, and their roles were divided between importation, manufacturing, and distribution.
The suspects used a residential property as a base for storing and manufacturing the drugs.
The investigation further revealed that the total amount seized exceeded 750 kilograms of narcotics and the raw materials used in their production.
Based on the investigation’s findings, the Public Prosecution issued several urgent decisions, including inventorying the defendants’ assets, disclosing the confidentiality of their bank accounts, freezing their funds, and placing the fugitive defendants on travel ban and arrival watch lists.
The referral decision was based on the testimonies of 20 witnesses, in addition to the compiled evidence.
