On Tuesday 23 January, at 11.30 a.m., a press conference will be held in Rome, in the Conference Room of the Community of Sant'Egidio (via della Paglia 14B) to denounce to the world the terrible execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith, scheduled for 25 January in Alabama (USA). At the same time, other conferences will be held in Europe in various cities including Paris, Berlin, Barcelona and Budapest.
Convicted for a murder committed in 1988 and on death row at Holman Prison for 34 years, Kenneth will be executed by so-called 'nitrogen hypoxia' - the first-ever execution of its kind. It is so painful that it has already been banned worldwide even for animal euthanasia.
A petition was launched in his favour to the governor of Alabama asking him to renounce this immense cruelty - tens of thousands of appeals sent have gone unheeded.
During the press conference Mario Marazziti, co-founder of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, will explain Kenneth Smith's story and further appeals to request his safety arwill be launched. The conference will be live -streamed.
