CPJP condemns the planned execution of Kenneth Smith in Alabama using nitrogen gas

TOMORROW - Thursday 25 January - the state of Alabama in the USA plans to execute Kenneth Smith using the untested method of suffocation by nitrogen gas.

The UN Human Rights Office has called on Alabama state authorities to halt the execution, amid concerns it ‘could amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment under international human rights law.’

The intended method would involve fastening an air-tight mask to Smith’s face and forcing him to inhale pure nitrogen, ultimately starving him of oxygen. It is not known to have been used to kill a human before, leading to UN experts citing concerns about the possibility of grave suffering. For animals, it is a method largely rejected by the American Veterinary Medical Association, due to concerns is it too distressing for most species.

To learn more and join the urgent appeal to the Governor of Alabama to grant clemency for Kenneth Smith click here.

Tomorrow’s planned execution follows an unsuccessful, painful attempt via lethal injection on 17 November 2022, after which Smith was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Having spent the last 35 years in prison, Smith spoke to The Guardian this week about his ‘recurring nightmare of being escorted back into the death chamber’ and the pain ahead for his family saying goodbye for the second time.

Regardless of the method, the death penalty is an affront to all of us as human beings. To support CPJP’s work towards a future without the death penalty, please visit our website to make a tax-deductible donation.