A prominent Egyptian human rights organization has raised alarm over deteriorating conditions inside Badr 3 Correctional and Rehabilitation Center, pointing to a rise in suicide attempts among inmates as a direct consequence of systemic abuse and isolation.
In a statement issued last week, the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) said repeated suicide attempts were the result of prolonged solitary confinement, denial of family visits, and what it described as “systematic medical neglect.”
The group cited a recent incident in Badr Court on July 12, when detainee Reda El-Sayed Aboelgheit attempted to take his own life inside the defendants’ cage, in front of the judge.
“This incident underscores the depth of the psychological suffering detainees are enduring,” ECRF said, adding that mass and individual suicide attempts are not new.
In 2023, nearly 60 prisoners reportedly attempted collective suicide, while others have made individual attempts. These acts of desperation are largely driven by years-long bans on family visits, which the ECRF characterized as “retaliatory measures.”
According to the group, prisoners have increasingly turned to hunger strikes as a last resort to protest their conditions. Dozens began an open-ended strike on June 20, 2025, part of a wave of hunger strikes that has continued since 2022. One such protest tragically ended in the death of detainee Alaa El-Selmy, reportedly due to medical negligence.
Rather than engaging in dialogue, prison authorities have reportedly escalated punitive measures in response to these protests, ERCF noted. These tactics include transferring prisoners to solitary confinement, moving them to remote prisons, and selectively imposing harsher restrictions.
The statement further highlighted that inmates associated with the Muslim Brotherhood are often subjected to near-total bans on visitation and outdoor exercise.
The commission urged Egypt’s public prosecutor to launch an immediate and transparent investigation into the reported abuses, to end solitary confinement practices and medical neglect, and to reinstate inmates’ right to regular family visits. It also called on the government to allow independent rights organizations to inspect detention facilities.
The statement echoes previous concerns from domestic and international watchdogs.
Most recently in April, 14 human rights organizations condemned the escalation of violations inside the Badr Correction and Rehabilitation Center complex, particularly at Badr 3, where “detention conditions are rapidly deteriorating and prisoners are deprived of their most basic rights.”
Just months earlier, in August 2024, 10 Egyptian rights groups warned of a “rapidly worsening” situation in Badr prison, calling for weekly family visits and unconditional release of those detained over political charges.
In March 2023, 38 Egyptian and international organizations appealed to the authorities to grant the International Committee of the Red Cross access to the prison to verify reports of abuse, recurring suicide attempts, and hunger strikes.
Egypt's prison regulations entitle pretrial detainees to four visits a month and convicted prisoners to two monthly visits, according to Article 60 of the Interior Ministry's 1961 prison bylaws.
