Tuesday 24 Mar 2026
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu speaks to reporters on March 23, 2026. (Photo/President's Office)
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu recently confirmed that the Maldivian administration is in the final stages of drafting a bill to enforce the death penalty. This initiative marks a significant step toward reversing the de facto moratorium that has been in place since 1954. During a press briefing on March 23, 2026, the President highlighted that mere regulations are insufficient to support the implementation of capital punishment. Instead, a comprehensive legal framework is required to handle the cases where death sentences have already been upheld by the Supreme Court. The Attorney General’s Office is leading the drafting process, with the bill slated for submission to Parliament during the current session.
President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu announced on Monday that the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is close to fishing drafting a bill on enforcing the death penalty in the Maldives.
Speaking to reporters on Monday morning, President Muizzu said there are several death row convicts in the Maldives whose death penalty have been upheld all the way up to the Supreme Court.
He said that a simple set of regulations isn’t enough, and that enforcing the death penalty requires a strong legal framework.
President Muizzu said that the AGO has been working on drafting a bill to create a specific law on enforcing the death penalty, and is now close to finishing it.
He said that the government will be submitting the bill to the Parliament during its current session.
The Maldives has maintained a de facto moratorium on the death penalty since 1954.
But in 2023, President Muizzu’s administration announced plans to reinstate the death penalty, following a similar attempt made during former President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s administration.
