International Mechanism Submissions

The report highlights that the administration of the death penalty in the United States raises serious concerns that condemned prisoners are experiencing severe pain and suffering when being executed, in violation of U.S. obligations under the Torture Convention. Shortages of lethal injection drugs have prompted states to experiment with drugs obtained from unregulated sources and new drugs not previously used in lethal injections. States have attempted to shield these decisions from public examination by passing secrecy laws that, among other consequences, prevent condemned prisoners from challenging their executions on grounds that they will experience severe pain and suffering. As a result of these changes, condemned prisoners in several recent executions apparently suffered severe pain.