ًEFHR calls on the judicial authorities, the Public Prosecutor, and the National Council for Human Rights to urgently assume their responsibility to investigate the conditions of detention in Badr 3 Prison, to fulfill their roles in ensuring detainees’ rights, and to put an end to these serious violations that threaten their lives and safety.
According to lawyers who spoke to the EFHR, two court sessions held in July 2025 at Badr Criminal Court revealed a severe deterioration in the conditions of detention in Badr 3 Prison. One of the sessions witnessed an incident in which a detainee attempted suicide inside the courtroom cage in protest against the dire conditions of detention. Other defendants confirmed the deterioration of their physical and psychological health, and the loss of hearing or normal movement, which they attributed to prolonged isolation.
In a shocking incident on Saturday, July 12, defendant Mohamed Reda El-Sayed attempted suicide inside the courtroom cage during the hearing of case no. 26/2021 (State Security), before the First Circuit of Badr Criminal Court, presided over by Judge Hamada El-Sawy. El-Sherif cut the veins in both his wrists, prompting the court to adjourn the session, while those present merely tried to bandage his wounds to stop the bleeding without providing any urgent medical intervention or transferring him to a hospital. The judge did not take action and decided to adjourn the case to August 10 to resume pleadings, while all defendants remain in detention.
In another session held on Saturday, July 5, before the First Circuit of the Criminal Court presided over by Judge Mohamed El-Saeed El-Sherbini, a number of detainees gave documented testimonies about the deteriorating conditions in Badr 3 Prison. Khaled El-Azhari, the former Minister of Manpower, detained since late 2020, left the defendant’s cage and said:
“We are living in graves… We ask you to treat us like killers, criminals, spies, and drug traffickers. We don’t see the sun or light, and we are never allowed out of our cells. When I reach an age where I want to cut my veins… it’s because I can’t bear it anymore.”
He explained that he had already attempted suicide and showed a deep wound on his hand caused by self-harm.
Leading Muslim Brotherhood figures Hassan El-Barnis and Ahmed Abu Baraka also spoke about their deteriorating hearing, attributing it to prolonged isolation and complete silence in the cells. All detainees pointed to other suicide attempts among prisoners in protest at what they described as “deadly conditions” inside the prison.
EFHR stresses its demand that the relevant authorities assume their responsibility to exercise judicial oversight and conduct an independent investigation into detention conditions, especially in Badr 3 Prison. EFHR affirms that Egyptian law obligates the Public Prosecution and the judiciary to receive and examine any complaint submitted by a detainee, in accordance with Article 42 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Article 55 of the Egyptian Constitution, which prohibits torture, intimidation, or humiliation of detainees. It is noteworthy that the UN Committee Against Torture recently expressed, in its May 2025 report, its deep concern over detention conditions and called on Egypt to comply with the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules), the Convention Against Torture, and to guarantee the right to medical care and protection from inhumane detention conditions.