Eighth Nitrogen gas execution carried out in the United States

The eighth execution by nitrogen hypoxia — suffocation caused by nitrogen gas — in the United States took place in Alabama, involving an African American death row inmate.

According to the Associated Press, Anthony Boyd, a 54-year-old Black man, was executed on Thursday (local time) in Alabama through nitrogen hypoxia.

In his final words, Boyd declared: “I didn’t kill anyone, and I didn’t take part in killing anyone. Until we change this system, there will be no justice.”

On Thursday, six U.S. Supreme Court justices rejected Boyd’s appeal to halt the execution, despite the strong dissent of three other justices.

Boyd’s execution marks the eighth use of nitrogen gas for carrying out the death penalty in the United States since January 2024.

So far, the state of Alabama has used this method seven times, while Louisiana has employed it once.

The shortage and restriction of medical drugs needed for lethal injection executions in U.S. prisons led authorities to adopt nitrogen gas as an alternative method.

This method has been strongly condemned by various human rights organizations, including the United Nations, for its ethical and humanitarian implications.