A federal judge in the United States has permanently blocked Alabama from executing an inmate with nitrogen gas, ruling that the method violates the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

On Tuesday, US District Judge Emily C. Marks issued a permanent injunction preventing the state from executing Jeffery Lee by nitrogen gas. Lee was scheduled to be executed Thursday at an Alabama prison.

The decision came a day after an appeals court reversed her earlier ruling that the method was constitutional. The case centers on interpreting the US Constitution's Eighth Amendment, which prohibits the government from inflicting "cruel and unusual punishments."

A spokesman for Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the state is reviewing the decision and considering next steps, including an appeal. The case is expected to eventually reach the US Supreme Court, which has previously allowed nitrogen executions to proceed.

In her 26-page ruling, Marks noted that litigation is a constant in death penalty cases. "Were Alabama to adopt firing squad as a method of execution, that method would likely be challenged as well. Indeed, there is likely no method — no matter how humane — that would be immune to constitutional challenge," Marks wrote.

The judge also noted that the state has two other authorized execution methods: lethal injection and the electric chair. She ruled that Lee is "not entitled to an injunction barring the State from executing him using one of those methods." Additionally, Marks stated that the state could switch to Lee's preferred method, a firing squad, as it can readily obtain necessary materials and train volunteers.

Source: www.aljazeera.com