Conditions inside Badr 3 Prison have reportedly escalated in a deeply alarming manner, revealing a systematic pattern of serious human rights violations in clear breach of the Egyptian Constitution and international humanitarian and human rights standards. Detainees are said to be held in inhumane conditions amid entrenched medical neglect, which has allegedly resulted in the deaths of eight prisoners over the past eight months, while dozens of others have developed severe and chronic illnesses.
According to the information available, detainees are being denied their most basic rights, foremost among them the right to life and access to healthcare. Medical care inside Badr 3 Prison is reportedly almost non-existent, with a lack of specialist doctors, malfunctioning basic diagnostic equipment, and an absence of essential medicines, particularly for prisoners suffering from cancer, liver and kidney disease, and other chronic conditions. Detainees are reportedly permitted to visit the so-called clinic only once a month, even in emergency cases, constituting a clear violation of the legally protected right to medical treatment.
These violations represent a grave breach of the State’s legal duty to protect those in custody. The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) require authorities to provide healthcare equivalent to that available in the community, and recognise that serious medical neglect may amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
Reports indicate that these abuses have been compounded by a number of notable deaths, including that of Dr Atta Youssef Abdel Latif, a physics professor at Assiut University, who allegedly died after a delayed diagnosis of advanced cancer, as well as Dr Alaa Al-Azzab in similar circumstances. Taken together, these incidents suggest a recurring pattern of deliberate medical neglect, raising serious questions of administrative and potentially criminal responsibility on the part of the prison administration.
The violations reportedly extend beyond healthcare. Detainees are said to be denied lawful family visits guaranteed under prison regulations, and subjected instead to degrading visits conducted through glass cabins under monitored communication, in flagrant violation of privacy and the right to humane contact. They are reportedly denied outdoor exercise and exposure to sunlight. Students in detention are also allegedly prevented from continuing their education or sitting examinations, in direct violation of the right to education and the principle of non-discrimination.
Living conditions are likewise said to have deteriorated sharply, including broken lavatories left unrepaired, disruptions to water supplies, and the provision of food and water deemed unfit for human consumption. Authorities reportedly refuse to install water filters even at detainees’ own expense. Detainees are also said to be prevented from collective religious worship, and are not provided with adequate clothing or blankets during winter—practices that undermine human dignity as recognised under Article 51 of the Egyptian Constitution.
The reported abuses appear neither incidental nor random, but rather part of a sustained security clampdown and punitive regime, particularly in Sector 2 of the prison, which holds political detainees. These restrictive measures are said to have continued for years despite repeated hunger strikes, with no meaningful response from the authorities.
In response, detainees have reportedly resorted to peaceful protest through an open-ended hunger strike now exceeding 21 days, in what they describe as a final attempt to end what they call a “siege by death”. Prison authorities have reportedly ignored their demands entirely, despite bearing direct responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of those in their custody. Some detainees have allegedly begun writing farewell letters ahead of visits, reflecting a dangerous level of despair and insecurity inside the facility.
What is reportedly taking place inside Badr 3 Prison cannot be justified under any security pretext. It constitutes a blatant violation of fundamental rights and may amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and potentially indirect or unlawful killing. International law does not permit any authority to endanger the lives of detainees, and places full responsibility on the State for all harm suffered by individuals while in detention.
Amid growing calls to designate 25 January as a day of protest inside prisons under the slogan “Release detainees alive”, the need for urgent action to end these violations and ensure accountability has become increasingly pressing, before prisons are transformed into sites of silent death rather than institutions operating under the rule of law.
