Following the "million-man march" held last Friday, 18 November 2011, Egyptian Central Security Forces used massive amounts of tear gas and live ammunition against peaceful protesters in an attempt to suppress the demonstrations. Similar repressive violence followed in different cities resulting in the extrajudicial execution of 33 protestors and the injuring of hundreds.

The mother of the victim, Mrs Inam Ragheb, who was the last to see Issam, during a visit on Monday 25 October, says that during that visit she gave him a SIM card, and once he held it in his hand, the guards arrested him, dragged him to his cell, and violently beat him accusing him of having swallowed drugs. She heard his screams from the cell appealing to her.

On 23 October 2011, the Supreme State Security Prosecution referred 76 defendants, who were arrested in the events outside the Saudi Embassy, to the Supreme State Security Emergency Court.