First time ever, Alabama executes a man with nitrogen gas

For the very first time ever in history, a 58-year-old convict Kenneth Eugene Smith was executed to death by using nitrogen gas into a facemask and suffocating him.

Alabama executed this first of its kind method and has become a debate in the nation. Some people called it cruel and experimental and the state said the method would be humane.

In the Alabama prison, the convict Smith was pronounced dead at around 8.25 pm after breathing the gas which deprived him of oxygen.The execution process took about 22 minutes, where for the last two minutes, he appeared to shake heavily and then he took some deep heavy breath, until the last one.

It has been marked as the new execution method since 1982, when lethal injection was introduced

In a final statement, Smith said, “Tonight Alabama causes humanity to take a step backwards. … I’m leaving with love, peace and light.”

UN human rights chief Volker Turk, the EU and US civil liberties groups expressed concern about the manner of Smith’s execution, which has reignited debate about the use of capital punishment, AFP reported.

“This novel and untested method of suffocation by nitrogen gas may amount to torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” Turk said.

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