Iraqi among 13 sentenced to death in Egypt drug case

Shafaq News- Cairo

A Cairo criminal court on Saturday sentenced an Iraqi national and 12 other defendants to death in a drug-trafficking case involving Egyptian television presenter Sara Khalifa, according to Egyptian media.

The New Cairo Criminal Court issued the death sentences after receiving the opinion of Egypt’s Grand Mufti, the country’s highest official Islamic legal authority. Referral to the Mufti is a required procedural step in Egyptian death penalty cases, although his opinion is advisory.

Court investigations identified Iraqi national Duraid Abdul Latif Al-Samarrai and Egyptian national Sameh M., a resident of Al-Gamaliya, as leaders of the alleged network. Both were listed as fugitives in the case.

Other defendants included Fathi K., the owner of an import office in Bulaq, Khalifa and Khaled F., the owner of a contracting company.

An investigating officer testified that the first three defendants recruited others to manufacture and produce drugs for trafficking. Khalifa and the fifth defendant later joined the group, knowing its purpose and taking roles in its operations. The group then recruited additional defendants to carry out various tasks.

Investigators also said Khalifa provided funding and traveled abroad to meet the first and second defendants and coordinate with other members of the group. Other defendants were accused of bringing materials into Egypt after they had been purchased.

Egyptian media reported that the court also handed life sentences to nine defendants and acquitted seven others in the 28-defendant case.