“I am profoundly sorry for the killing of Kenneth Eugene Smith in Alabama, despite significant concerns that this unproven method of suffocation may constitute torture, cruelty, or inhumane and degrading treatment,” stated Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OHCHR.

In 1988, Mr. Smith, 58, was found guilty of murder and given the death penalty in the state of Alabama. An effort to carry out the sentence in 2022 was unsuccessful.

The Human Rights Council recently urged Alabama to stop Mr. Smith’s execution and to avoid using nitrogen asphyxiation for any other executions.

Mr. Smith was given nitrogen hypoxia gas on Thursday evening.

According to media reports, it was 22 minutes before he was officially pronounced deceased.

Based on reports from media and eyewitnesses in the room where the execution took place, the inmate exhibited intense shaking, twisting, and spasms while on the stretcher.

According to reports, officials in Alabama stated that the use of pure nitrogen gas before an execution is possibly the most humane method ever created.

“The right to life is the foundation of human rights, making the death penalty incompatible,” stated Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in a tweet on X, previously known as Twitter, on Friday morning.

“We strongly encourage all countries to implement a moratorium on the use of [subject] as a first step towards achieving universal abolition.”

The source of this information is the United Nations news website.