Execution of a prisoner sentenced to death in America with nitrogen gas

A murderer sentenced to death named Kenneth Eugene Smith was executed using nitrogen gas in the state of Alabama. The use of this gas for the execution of a convicted person in America, which causes suffocation, has faced international condemnation. Witnesses said it took more than 30 minutes for convicted murderer Kenneth Smith to die, writhing on the death row before dying. Volker Turk, head of the United Nations Human Rights Division, said that the circumstances of Mr. Smith’s death could be an example of torture. A spokesperson of the European Union also called this execution method a cruel and unusual punishment. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has said that Mr. Smith has finally been held accountable for the horrific crimes he committed. This is the first time that this method is used for execution in America. Kenneth Smith, 58, asked the Supreme Court twice in recent days to stop the execution of the sentence, but each time his request was rejected. He argued that this type of execution was a cruel and unusual punishment. A federal appeals court also rejected his request.