Death by Nitrogen: Alabama Execution

• Context (IE): Alabama carried out the first-ever execution using nitrogen gas in the United States.

The Method

• Inmates are forced to inhale the pure nitrogen using an Industrial level air respirator.
• This deprives the body of oxygen needed to maintain bodily functions and ultimately causes death.
• Normally, we inhale nitrogen as part of atmospheric air (78%) along with Oxygen.
• Nitrogen itself is not toxic, but asphyxiation due to the absence of Oxygen leads to death.

Claims of Painless Death

• It was claimed to be a humane, momentarily, and painless death.
• It was expected to cause unconsciousness within seconds and death within minutes.
• Agonal breath (struggle to breathe) is an involuntary reflexive action, as against said painful struggle.

A botched execution in real?

• Took 22 minutes against claims of seconds.
• No immediate unconsciousness led to violent shaking, deep breaths, eyes rolling back and struggles.
• Opposers see it as the “most inhumane” way of death.
• Little research and the “guinea pig” treatment of the convict raised severe ethical and legal questions.

Death penalty in the US

• Supporters lobby on the argument of retribution, justice for victims and deterrence for heinous crimes.
• Opponents prefer reformation, arguing the absence of data regarding deterrence.

Death Penalty: International Opinions

• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) allows the death penalty but suggests abolition in its Second Optional Protocol to ICCPR (1989).
• UN Economic and Social Council-Safeguarding Rights (1984): It safeguards the rights of convicts facing the death penalty.
• Progressive Restriction (2007-2018) by UN General Assembly Resolutions: It requests members to limit the offences eligible for the death penalty and abide by international standards.