United Nations: Volker Türk voices regret over first ever execution by nitrogen suffocation

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk expressed profound regret over the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith in Alabama, marking the first-ever use of nitrogen asphyxiation for capital punishment in the United States. Türk raised serious concerns regarding the potential for this untested method to amount to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

Smith, 58, had been sentenced to death for murder in 1988. Despite a failed attempt to execute him in 2022, Alabama proceeded with his execution, drawing condemnation from human rights advocates.

The Human Rights Council had called for a halt to Smith's execution and urged Alabama to refrain from further use of nitrogen asphyxiation. However, Smith was administered nitrogen hypoxia gas, leading to a prolonged 22 minutes process before his official declaration of death.

Witnesses reported that Smith experienced violent shaking, writhing, and convulsions during the execution. Alabama authorities had previously touted pure nitrogen gas as a supposedly humane method of execution.

OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani reiterated the organization's stance against the death penalty, emphasizing its inconsistency with the fundamental right to life. Shamdasani urged all states to implement a moratorium on executions as a step toward universal abolition.