The Committee for Justice (CFJ) announced the death of political detainee Mohamed Hassan Hilal (32 years old) at Al-Qasr Al-Aini Hospital in Cairo, after being transferred from “Badr 3” Prison in a critical health condition, amid strong suspicions that he was subjected to lethal torture or a systematic physical liquidation while in detention.
According to the CFJ’s monitoring, Hilal was transferred to the hospital in a complete coma, where he underwent emergency surgery to stop severe bleeding in his skull, resulting from serious injuries including fractures to his head and hands. The true causes of his injuries remain unclear, with official silence from the prison administration and security agencies.
The CFJ confirmed that Hilal, who had completed his prison sentence in a political case in 2021, remained arbitrarily detained after being “recycled” into a new case. Observers noted that he was transferred to the hospital while shackled, despite his critical condition, indicating the continuation of repressive practices even in his final moments.
Hilal, a former engineering student, had been arrested in 2016 in connection with an accusation of “attempting to assassinate the Assistant Public Prosecutor.” During his years of detention, his family and human rights networks received multiple complaints of systematic torture inside the prison.
The CFJ calls for an independent and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding this death, warning that the incident may be part of a broader policy of impunity practiced against dissidents.
This death marks the ninth case recorded by the CFJ since the beginning of 2025 in Egyptian prisons and detention centers, following its documentation of 50 deaths during the previous year, 2024.
Documented information on deaths in detention in Egypt can be accessed through the “Justice Watch Archive” service provided by the CFJ, which contains information on more than 14,000 victims and over 30,000 violations, and monitors abuses in over 500 detention facilities across Egypt.