On August 7, 2002, Egypt arrested both al-Sirri's brothers in Suez and held them in administrative detention. Yahya Tawfiq ‘Ali al-Sirri was a football trainer, and Muhammad Tawfiq ‘Ali al-Sirri was an engineer.[9] On October 1, 2003, his uncle Al-Sayid Muhammad Hassan ‘Abd al-Ghani was also arrested and became a ghost prisoner.[9]