Taha Ahmed Heiba, a 32-year-old political prisoner, died in his cell at Badr Prison in Egypt, marking the fourth death in Egyptian prisons this month. Heiba, who hailed from the village of Ramla in Banha, Qalyubia Governorate, had been diagnosed with cancer. Despite his deteriorating health, he did not receive adequate medical care in prison.
His family had made several attempts to secure his release or better medical treatment by submitting petitions and appeals to the Prisons Service and Egyptian authorities. Unfortunately, these efforts were unsuccessful, and Heiba passed away in Badr Prison.
Three other deaths in Egyptian prisons this year include Mohamed El-Sherbiny Ali El-Sayed, a 58-year-old political prisoner and cassation lawyer from Dakahlia Governorate, who died on January 7 in Badr Prison Hospital. Adel Radwan Othman Muhammad, a former parliamentary representative from Sharkia Governorate, passed away on January 3 in Badr Prison 3. He had been detained under a specific police report at the Deirb Negm Police Station. Ibrahim Muhammad Al-Ajiri, a 54-year-old detainee from Damietta Governorate, died in Al-Qasr Al-Aini Hospital after four years of pretrial detention.
The deaths have raised concerns about the conditions in Egyptian prisons and detention centres, particularly regarding the lack of adequate medical and healthcare facilities. These issues have reportedly led to the deaths of numerous detainees under poor conditions since the events of 2013, prompting calls for urgent intervention from the international community and human rights organisations.
