Capital punishment: Alabama witnesses first Nitrogen gas execution; UN condemns

New Delhi: Alabama has made history by executing convicted murderer Kenneth Eugene Smith using nitrogen gas, marking the first global use of this method in capital punishment.

The execution, lasting around 25 minutes, has sparked international condemnation, with the United Nations human rights chief expressing concern over the potential cruelty and torture associated with the nitrogen gas execution.

In response to the UN's condemnation, Alabama officials defended the process, asserting that the execution had been carried out humanely.

Kenneth Smith, convicted in 1989 for the murder-for-hire of preacher's wife Elizabeth Sennett, delivered his final words, expressing that his death would signify a regression in humanity for Alabama.

The use of pure nitrogen gas for execution, as reported by the Death Penalty Information Centre, establishes Smith as the first person globally to undergo such a form of capital punishment.

Alabama, along with two other U.S. states, adopted nitrogen hypoxia as an alternative execution method due to difficulties in obtaining lethal injection drugs, contributing to a decline in the overall use of the death penalty in the nation.

Witnesses reported a unique and unsettling scene during the execution. As the nitrogen gas flowed into Smith's mask, he reportedly smiled, nodded toward his family, and signed "I love you." One media witness described the execution as unlike any other, highlighting Smith's distressing reactions to the gas.

Volker Turk, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed regret over the execution, citing serious concerns about the untested and novel method's potential to constitute torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Turk called for a moratorium on the death penalty, emphasising its inconsistency with the fundamental right to life.

Kenneth Eugene Smith's execution using nitrogen gas comes after a failed attempt by Alabama officials to execute him in November 2022 through lethal injection. The controversial use of nitrogen gas represents the latest effort by authorities to find alternative methods of execution, even as the death penalty faces diminishing popularity.

Nitrogen hypoxia, while approved by some states, remains a subject of criticism for being untested and unproven, raising questions about its ethical implications.