EU, UN Human Rights Office express regret over execution of a man using nitrogen gas in Alabama
The European Union and the U.N. Human Rights Office have expressed regret over the first execution of a man with nitrogen gas in the U.S. state of Alabama
By AP News
Published - Jan 26, 2024, 06:42 AM ET
Last Updated - Jan 26, 2024, 06:42 AM EST
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union and the U.N. Human Rights Office expressed regret Friday over the first execution of a man with nitrogen gas in the U.S. state of Alabama.
The 27-nation European Union and the Geneva-based U.N. rights office say the death penalty violates the right to life and does not deter crime.
Kenneth Eugene Smith was put to death in Alabama on Thursday with pure nitrogen gas, a first-of-its-kind execution that placed the United States at the forefront of the debate over capital punishment.
Smith appeared to shake and convulse before being pronounced dead at an Alabama prison after breathing the gas through a face mask to cause oxygen deprivation.
