STORY: UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on execution in Alabama

TRT: 01:17

SOURCE: OHCHR 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English/NATS
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9 
DATELINE:  26.01.2022 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND 

SHOTLIST 

• Exterior shot : Palais des Nations
• SOUNDBITE (English)—Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We saw that the authorities issued a statement saying that it worked, and it is it’s a satisfactory method of execution. It is not. It is not. It could amount to torture, inhuman, degrading treatment in violation of the treaties, the human rights treaties that the United States has signed.”
• Cutaway: Briefing room
• SOUNDBITE (English)—Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “So, we are very worried that this could open the door to further executions. And this is why we feel the need to speak out again clearly that this is not acceptable.”
• Cutaway: Briefing room
• SOUNDBITE (English)—Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “We deeply regret the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith in Alabama despite serious concerns this novel and untested method of suffocation by nitrogen gas may amount to torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.”
• Cutaway: Briefing room
• SOUNDBITE (English)—Ravina Shamdasani, Spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR): “The death penalty is inconsistent with the fundamental right to life. We urge all States to put in place a moratorium on its use, as a step towards universal abolition,” the spokesperson stated.
• Cutaway: Briefing room

This follows the execution on Thursday night in Alabama of Kenneth Eugene Smith.  

“We saw that the authorities issued a statement saying that it worked, and it is it’s a satisfactory method of execution. It is not. It is not. It could amount to torture, inhuman, degrading treatment in violation of the treaties, the human rights treaties that the United States has signed,” said UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.

Shamdasani noted that, in addition to Alabama, Mississippi and Oklahoma have approved execution by nitrogen suffocation, and a bill has been presented in Nebraska to approve its use.

“So, we are very worried that this could open the door to further executions. And this is why we feel the need to speak out again clearly that this is not acceptable,” she told the regular press briefing in Geneva.

“We deeply regret the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith in Alabama despite serious concerns this novel and untested method of suffocation by nitrogen gas may amount to torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment,” Shamdasani stressed.

“The death penalty is inconsistent with the fundamental right to life. We urge all States to put in place a moratorium on its use, as a step towards universal abolition,” Shmadasani said.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact :

In Geneva: 

Ravina Shamdasani - + 41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org 

Jeremy Laurence - + 41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org

Marta Hurtado - + 41 22 917 9466 / marta.hurtadogomez@un.org

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