President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu stated today that the Organ Transplant Bill was sent back for re-examination due to it allowing prisoners being able to donate organs.

The President wrote this in a letter to the Parliament after the bill that was passed on 14th May 2026, requesting it be sent back.

The letter requested the Parliament to reconsider the bill, with the President saying that the government's article, which states prisoners and those under the care of the state should not be able to donate their organs, being removed by the Parliament is one of the reasons the bill was sent back. 

According to the President, these two requirements were included in the bill as the willingness to donate organs without compulsion is a part of democratic society, and also to fully enforce it.

"Those who are imprisoned lack freedom and choice, and are in a special situation. I do not see them as being completely willing without any compulsion of any kind when it comes to donating organs," as was written in President Muizzu's letter to Speaker of Parliament Abdul Raheem Abdulla.

While there are a few countries that allow prisoners to donate their organs, the President's letter highlighted that there are many considerations to be taken into account, and that no such procedures were included in the bill that was passed by the Parliament.

Another reason why the Parliament was requested to reconsider the bill and sent back is that the punishment in the bill would experience many obstacles when it would come to enforcement. President Muizzu wrote in the letter that as the bill stands, there is a possibility that a punishment outside of the scope of Qisas (retribution), as per Islamic law, may be enforced.

Another reason why the bill was sent back was due to enforcement of some of the guidelines in the bill being made necessary before the bill is made into a law and comes into force.

The President said that there may be difficulties in enforcing the bill after it becomes a law if it remains as is. President Muizzu also said that the bill was sent back upon Attorney General Ahmed Usham's recommendation.

As the Organ Transplant Bill has been sent back, the Parliament has begun debate into the bill being sent back to a committee for re-examination.