dismemberment, sawing, slow slicing, blood eagle, bamboo torture and necklacing. In 2008, Michael Portillo on the show Horizon argued that in ensuring an execution is not of a cruel and unusual nature, the following criteria must be met: Death should be quick and painless to prevent suffering for the person being executed; Medical education should be provided to the executioner to prevent suffering caused by error; The death should not be gory (to prevent suffering for those carrying out the execution); and No co-operation should be required from the person being executed, to prevent inaction, distress, and/or suffering caused by the prisoner being required to participate in their own execution. The show argued that hypoxia appears to meet the criteria, by way of applying a combination of the gases argon and nitrogen, as the person being executed would not feel any physical pain but would experience a euphoric state. It was further argued that these gases could be applied cheaply and efficiently by restraining the prisoner by way of physical restraints and mask. See also Geneva Conventions Prisoner abuse Psychological torture Retributive justice Warcrime References External links Death Penalty Pros and Cons Human rights abuses Penology Torture Punishment