After the overthrow of former President Mohamed Morsi; Abu al-Bukhari participated in the Rabaa al-Adawiya sit-in, and after the August 2013 Rabaa massacre he was arrested at about nine in the morning, and was shot in the face by security forces. The news of his death spread, and at about six o'clock in the evening, the security forces came to the Health Insurance Hospital. They arrested him from inside the hospital again, and it was confirmed that he was being held at the State Security headquarters in Nasr City, despite his injury.