The U.S. state of Louisiana is resuming the death penalty after a 15-year hiatus, now permitting executions using nitrogen. This was announced on Tuesday by Republican Governor Jeff Landry.
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections has completed the development and implementation of an updated protocol that allows for the execution of death sentences. This protocol includes procedures for the method of nitrogen hypoxia, the governor’s statement reads.
According to media reports, around 60 inmates in Louisiana are currently on death row. The nitrogen hypoxia method involves administering pure nitrogen through a breathing mask, leading to oxygen deprivation and, ultimately, death. This method was first used in 2024 in the state of Alabama, drawing sharp criticism from the UN and the EU.
According to the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, since 1973, 200 individuals sentenced to death in the U.S. have later been exonerated, 108 of whom were African American.
