"Controversy Surrounds Alabama's First Nitrogen Gas Execution"

Alabama faced widespread condemnation for executing Kenneth Eugene Smith using nitrogen gas, with witnesses reporting that he convulsed and struggled for several minutes. The UN and EU condemned the execution, calling it potentially amounting to torture. Smith's spiritual adviser described the execution as "torture," and experts suggested that the state intended to torture him to death. The use of nitrogen gas for executions has raised concerns about cruelty and inhuman treatment.