Is Kenneth Eugene Smith's wait for an untested execution akin to experiencing torture?

Kenneth Eugene Smith is facing execution by nitrogen gas in the US, making him the first person in the country to be put to death using this method. Smith, who was unsuccessful in a previous attempt at execution by lethal injection, is haunted by the untested procedure as he spends his final days on death row. Alabama plans to suffocate Smith by placing an air-tight mask over his face, causing him to inhale pure nitrogen and deprive his body of oxygen. The United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights has raised concerns about this method, suggesting it could constitute torture or other forms of cruel and degrading treatment. Experts and activists have warned about potential risks, including violent convulsions, vegetative states, and the leakage of the gas. Smith's spiritual advisor, Rev Dr. Jeff Hood, has expressed concern over the danger involved, but has chosen to accompany Smith during the execution despite the risks. Dr. Joel Zivot, an anaesthesiology professor, criticized Alabama's record of cruel executions and likened the potential risks to a firing squad. Alabama has one of the highest execution rates in the US, and since 2018, it has experienced three failed attempts at lethal injection. The state's Attorney General's office has dismissed the UN's concerns, insisting that Smith's fears regarding nitrogen gas are speculative. Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and Republican state lawmaker Reed Ingram both support the execution and believe it is a measured response. The family of Smith's victim, Elizabeth Sennett, has declined to comment at this time. Smith argues that he was present at the time of the murder but did not participate in the attack, though he was sentenced to death in 1996 after the judge overruled a jury's recommendation of life imprisonment without parole.