The Transfer of Executed Prisoners' Organs Causes a Stir in Egypt.. The Medical Syndicate Clarifies

The proposal to utilize the organs of death row inmates to save patients in need of organ transplants has sparked controversy in Egypt, at a time when medical and religious opinions have emphasized that organ donation is inseparable from the will of the body owner and their explicit consent.

Professor of Critical Care Medicine at Cairo University, Hossam Mowafi, posed a question to the Attorney General and the Sheikh of Al-Azhar regarding the possibility of benefiting from the organs of a death row inmate before or after the execution of the sentence, pointing out that organs such as the kidneys, heart, corneas, and parts of the liver could contribute to saving the lives of patients in need of transplantation.

In contrast, the Egyptian Medical Syndicate expressed its "strong objection" to this proposal, as syndicate council member Ahmed Bahles stated that "the execution of a death sentence relates to taking life as a punishment, and does not automatically mean the loss of a person's rights over their body or granting others the right to dispose of their organs."

Bahles also emphasized in statements to "Al Arabiya.net/Al Hadath.net" today, Tuesday, that "if a death row inmate has not donated their organs of their own free will before facing the situation, it is not right to take their organs, as organ donation is fundamentally based on free will and informed consent, and donation cannot be imposed on a person at a moment when they are under pressure or in an exceptional situation."

Additionally, he considered that raising ideas or inaccurate information about organ transplantation could lead to adverse results, given what he described as the delay in the organ transplantation file compared to several other countries, explaining that the recurring debate on the issue could lead to increased societal reservations towards it instead of supporting organ donation and transplantation.

He added that "society needs accurate medical information regarding organ donation and transplantation processes, especially since organ transfer is subject to precise procedures and examinations, and cannot be reduced to the idea of obtaining an organ suddenly after someone's death," noting that "the primary goal should be to develop the organ transplantation system to serve patients in need, rather than proposing ideas that may lead to a negative societal reaction towards donation processes.","

A responsible official from the Egyptian Ministry of Health also pointed out in statements to "Al-Arabiya.net/Al-Hadath.net" that "the constitution and the regulations governing organ transplantation require informed consent for donation, without any pressure." He confirmed that "this proposal has not been officially discussed, as it does not meet the conditions and is not applicable."

In this context, former Minister of Awqaf and member of the Islamic Research Academy, Mohamed Mukhtar Gomaa, rejected the idea of taking organs from a person sentenced to death, emphasizing that "the human body retains its sanctity even after death." He stated that "the person sentenced to death has already received the prescribed legal and religious punishment."

He also clarified via his Facebook account that "it is not permissible according to Sharia to take any organ from a person, whether alive or dead, without their own voluntary consent, and that this must be legally documented to prevent any suspicion of violation of their rights," stressing that "the consent of the heirs does not grant them the right to donate the deceased's organs if they have not given their consent themselves."

It is worth noting that the current controversy brings the issue of organ transplantation in Egypt back to the forefront, not only in terms of increasing opportunities to save patients in need of transplants but also regarding the regulations that ensure the protection of donors and the preservation of human dignity, as well as preventing the exploitation of death or punishment circumstances to obtain organs.

In February 2026, the file returned to the forefront after a proposal was made to establish a "National Tissue Bank" and expand skin donation after death to treat burn victims, which sparked a discussion about the limits of medical benefit from deceased tissues and how to ensure they are not misused.

The operations of organ transfer and transplantation in Egypt are governed by Law No. 5 of 2010, which established regulations for the donation and transfer of organs from living and deceased individuals, while subsequent amendments tightened the penalties associated with illegal organ transfer and trafficking.

The law and its executive regulations require that the donation be made out of free will "without coercion or deceit," with official procedures in place to document the donation. The law also sets regulations for the transfer of organs from the deceased, including the confirmation of death according to specified medical procedures and the existence of a will or documented consent according to the governing rules.