“The death penalty is inconsistent with the fundamental right to life.”
Geneva:
The United Nations human rights chief on Friday condemned the hanging of a prisoner in the US state of Alabama using nitrogen gas, saying this method could amount to torture.
Kenneth Smith, convicted of murder-for-hire in 1988, was executed with nitrogen gas on Thursday, the first use of the new method of capital punishment since lethal injection began in the US four decades ago.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said, “I deeply regret the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith in Alabama, despite serious concerns that this new and untested method of suffocation with nitrogen gas constitutes torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.” behavior can be considered.” Said.
“The death penalty is incompatible with the fundamental right to life. I urge all States to prohibit its use as a step towards its universal abolition.”
Smith survived an execution attempt. In November 2022, Alabama officials canceled his execution by lethal injection after struggling for hours to insert the needle of an intravenous line into his body.
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