The UN, EU and anti-death penalty activists have condemned the first execution of a prisoner using nitrogen gas.
Kenneth Eugene Smith was put to death on Thursday night at a state prison in Atmore, Alabama.
Smith was convicted in 1989 of murdering a preacher’s wife, Elizabeth Sennett, in a killing-for-hire.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, said he had “serious concerns this novel and untested method of suffocation by nitrogen gas may amount to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”.
In a statement, EU officials called nitrogen gas “a particularly cruel and unusual punishment”.
Inhaling pure nitrogen gas cuts off the oxygen supply to the brain. The procedure had never been used before in an execution, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Alabama officials had said in an earlier court filing they expected Smith to lose consciousness within seconds and die in a matter of minutes.
Smith’s spiritual adviser, the Reverend Jeff Hood, said after the execution: “I think that anybody that witnessed this knows that we didn’t see someone go unconscious in two or three seconds.”
“What we saw was minutes of someone struggling for their life,” Mr Hood said. “We also saw cracks in correction officials in the room who were visibly surprised at how bad this thing went.”
At a press conference on Friday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said he expected the method to be used in the future and by other states. Oklahoma and Mississippi have also authorised nitrogen gas for executions.
Smith’s last words were, according to a media report: “Tonight Alabama caused humanity to take a step backward. I’m leaving with love, peace and light. Thank you for supporting me. Love all of you.”
