Badie in good spirits, says family

No sooner are ailing political figures detained than rumors of their deteriorating health start circling, sending the public into a brief frenzy until said rumors are quickly dispelled.

The latest reports of the Muslim Brotherhood supreme guide’s death were denied by both the Interior Ministry and his family, who said he’s in “good spirits” following a visit Sunday.

On Saturday, rumors about Mohamed Badie’s death circulated, combined with rumors that he had suffered a heart attack and a broken jaw after he was assaulted during interrogations.

The Interior Ministry quickly issued a statement denying Badie’s death, saying he is in good condition.

This statement was confirmed by Badie’s wife and daughter, who added that the supreme guide is confident that “victory is near,” according to the Brotherhood-affiliated Freedom and Justice Party’s online portal.

His family claimed that Badie is harmed only by his solitary confinement in Tora Prison and the fact that he is not allowed to see any other detained Brotherhood members.   

Badie was arrested on August 20 as part of a wave of sweeping arrests of Brotherhood figures by the military backed government. He faces charges of murder and inciting the killing of protesters in front of the group’s headquarters in Moqattam on June 30. His trial has been adjourned to October 29.

Following the arrest of Hosni Mubarak in 2011, the public was subjected to multiple health scares, one of which reported the ousted president as clinically dead. Mubarak was transported back and forth from Tora Prison to Maadi Military Hospital until the general prosecutor ordered his release late last month. He is currently under house arrest in the hospital.