Alabama Plans First Execution Using Nitrogen Gas Amid Controversy

Safety Concerns Raised, UN Warns of Potential Torture, as Kenneth Smith Faces Unprecedented Execution Method

Alabama is planning to execute Kenneth Eugene Smith, a death row inmate, using nitrogen hypoxia, a method that has never been used before.
Rev. Jeff Hood, a spiritual adviser who will be present during the execution, has requested additional safety precautions, including oxygen monitors in the death chamber, additional oxygen sources, ambulances on standby, and training on exit routes in case of a nitrogen leak.
Smith's attorneys have argued that the untested method could violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment, likening it to human experimentation.
The United Nations human rights office has called on Alabama to halt the execution, warning that it could amount to torture and violate international human rights law.
Smith was previously subjected to a botched execution attempt by lethal injection in 2022.