The planned execution of a prisoner in Alabama using nitrogen gas asphyxiation has raised concerns from the United Nations (UN) human rights office. Kenneth Smith, convicted of a murder-for-hire in 1988, is scheduled for execution on January 25, but the UN has called on Alabama to halt the process, suggesting it may constitute torture and violate international law. Nitrogen gas asphyxiation involves officials attaching a mask to the prisoner’s face, connected to a cylinder of nitrogen to deprive them of oxygen. The UN spokesperson for the Human Rights Office, Ravina Shamdasani, expressed worries that the execution could breach the prohibition on torture and other cruel or degrading treatment, as well as Smith’s right to remedies. Shamdasani also raised concerns about Alabama’s protocol for execution, which does not include sedatives prior to the process. The use of gas-based protocols for executions has been gaining traction in some US states, as obtaining lethal-injection drugs has become increasingly difficult. Amnesty International reports that the United States executed 18 people in 2022.
Disclaimer: The UN human rights office has urged the state of Alabama to halt the planned execution of a prisoner by nitrogen gas asphyxiation, expressing concerns that it may constitute torture and violate international law. Amnesty International reports that the United States executed 18 people in 2022.
