Alabama executed convicted murderer Kenneth Eugene Smith using nitrogen gas, marking the first use of this controversial method in the United States.
Smith, who had been on death row for over three decades, was pronounced dead after suffocating from the gas.
The execution was criticized by human rights advocates, and witnesses described Smith’s physical distress during the process.
US state of Alabama has executed convicted murderer Kenneth Eugene Smith with nitrogen gas, the first time the method of capital punishment has been used globally.
The same US will lecture other nations about ‘morality’, ‘Human rights’ etc when they carry out capital punishment! pic.twitter.com/RVGTHBFt2b— Shan Kamaraj (@skamaraj32) January 27, 2024
“Justice has been served. Tonight, Kenneth Smith was put to death for the heinous act he committed over 35 years ago,” Attorney General Steve Marshall said.
The use of nitrogen hypoxia as a method of execution has raised concerns about potential cruelty and torture, with the U.N. rights office urging Alabama to abandon the plan.
“It’s never been used before to execute anyone in the United States, or anyone in the world as far as we know,” Death Penalty Information Center executive director Robin Maher said.
Despite this, the state defended the execution method as humane.
Alabama is one of three U.S. states that have approved the use of nitrogen hypoxia for executions.
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