UN Human Rights chief raises concerns after 'torturous' legal Nitrogen gas execution of a US prisoner

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Jan 26, 2024, 5:53 PM IST

Kenneth Eugene Smith's execution has started a debate on capital punishment inside the US as well as outside. UN Human Rights chief, Volker Turk condemned the torturous execution on Thursday. The nitrogen Hypoxia method was used for the first time in the US.

The US executed the first legally sanctioned Nitrogen gas execution of an Alabama cell prisoner. The execution method is touted as one of the cruelest methods of death and the United Nations Human Rights chief Volker Turk condemned the execution and labeled it as cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

Kenneth Eugene Smith who was convicted for a 1988 murder-for-hire case was executed through the torturous method on Thursday in Alabama state. Despite several appeals from Kenneth Eugene Smith and his lawyers, the state prosecutors went strong with their decision. The appeal to halt the execution was also dismissed by the US Supreme Court.

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United Nations had also raised concerns over the judgment and requested the US to not conduct the execution through the Nitrogen gas method also known as Nitrogen Hypoxia. The method is deemed torturous because the recipient is denied oxygen through the excessive use of nitrogen gas through a face mask. In layman's terms, it would be similar to covering the face with a plastic bag and denying oxygen causing a painful and struggling death.

Volker Turk, the UN Human Rights chief said, “I deeply regret the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith in Alabama despite serious concerns this novel and untested method of suffocation by nitrogen gas may amount to torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The death penalty is inconsistent with the fundamental right to life. I urge all states to put in place a moratorium on its use, as a step towards universal abolition.”

Kenneth Eugene Smith dramatically survived an execution attempt in 2022. Prosecutors tried using lethal injections but hours of struggle to insert an intravenous line needle in his body came to an inconclusive end. After the first attempt failure, the Alabama prosecutors went the hard way by using Nitrogen Hypoxia.

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