A leaked letter from political prisoners in Egypt’s Badr 3 Prison reveals horrific conditions inside what authorities call “modern rehabilitation centers”, which detainees describe as “rehabilitation centers for death.”
In the letter, obtained by the Arab Organization for Human Rights in the UK, prisoners report total deprivation of family visits, poor nutrition, chronic medical neglect, and isolation from the outside world. They warn of a looming disaster both inside and outside prison walls.
The letter states that the appalling conditions in Badr 3 have led to the deaths of three political detainees in just a matter of days.
The first was Islam Mahmoud Abdel Fattah, born in 1989 and detained since March 7, 2022. After three months of enforced disappearance, he was transferred to Badr 3, where he developed an undiagnosed illness. Prison doctors reportedly offered no tests or treatment, simply labeling him as having tuberculosis. Despite being briefly sent to a hospital, his condition worsened drastically. A tumor grew from 1 cm to 17 cm due to lack of treatment. His chemotherapy and radiation sessions were repeatedly delayed by prison authorities, and he eventually died inside the prison’s medical center.
The second victim was Alaa Mohamed El-Azab, a 1954-born professor at Ain Shams University, medical specialist, and former MP, detained since November 2022. After two months of enforced disappearance, he was charged and detained. While his health declined rapidly, proper diagnosis and treatment were delayed. He was eventually found to have late-stage pancreatic cancer and died on October 30, 2025.
The third was Atta Youssef Abdel Latif Mohamed, born in 1955, a physics professor at Assiut University with pre-existing heart conditions. Despite his deteriorating health, he was returned to his cell due to a lack of medical beds. He later died in Qasr Al-Aini Hospital on December 26, 2025, too late for intervention.
The letter also warns that other detainees, such as Osama Mohamed Al-Iraqi, 27, and Osama Maher, 31, are suffering from severe untreated illnesses and are at imminent risk.
According to the detainees, this unfolding catastrophe stems from malnutrition, chronic depression due to family separation, lack of movement, poor ventilation, insufficient sunlight, and prolonged exposure to unsanitary living conditions. They also cited the requirement for National Security approval before hospital transfers, lack of medical equipment, and the continuous recycling of detainees past their original detention terms.
The letter ends with an urgent plea to all local and international human rights organizations to intervene before an even greater humanitarian disaster unfolds, calling Badr 3 Egypt’s “Saydnaya” and “Guantanamo.”
