The Pentagon’s plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former U.S. Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others at Fort Hood in 2009, has raised questions about the legality of broadcasting executions and the limits of military justice.
The Pentagon said on Thursday that it would livestream Hasan’s execution by firing squad. The execution is scheduled for 3 December, following President Donald Trump’s approval of the plan on 5 October.
Yes. In an 1879 ruling, Wilkerson v. Utah, the U.S. Supreme Court found that the method did not constitute cruel and unusual punishment prohibited by the Constitution.
Five states currently permit execution by firing squad: Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah. The Trump administration has also said it would allow the method in the federal prison system.
The U.S. military has historically used firing squads to execute soldiers convicted of offences including desertion. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the president is the only person authorised to approve a death sentence for a member of the armed forces.
A military jury convicted Hasan of premeditated murder in 2013 following a court-martial.
Federal rules prohibit the recording or broadcasting of executions in the federal prison system. Military regulations have not imposed the same prohibition on military executions, which raises questions about the Pentagon’s proposed livestream.
Executions in the U.S. were once held in public but have largely moved behind closed doors in correctional facilities. State laws generally restrict witnesses to authorised officials, relatives, legal representatives and a limited number of journalists.
Courts have also rejected attempts to expand public access. In 2001, a judge denied a request to livestream the execution of Timothy McVeigh, who was convicted of killing 168 people in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. The Justice Department instead arranged a restricted broadcast for survivors and victims’ families.
Hasan has exhausted his direct appeals within the military justice system, but he can still challenge his conviction and sentence in federal civilian courts through a habeas corpus petition. Such proceedings could delay the execution for years, even if the challenge ultimately fails.
Legal experts have said Hasan could also file a civil rights lawsuit challenging the method of execution.
Hasan represented himself at his 2013 trial and presented almost no defence.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned the proposed livestream, saying it would amount to a public execution and breach international human rights standards.
“The livestreaming of an execution is tantamount to a public execution and would breach the absolute prohibition of torture,” the office said.
It also argued that the plan violates the Convention Against Torture, a 1984 treaty the U.S. ratified in 1994. However, international legal frameworks do not automatically provide an enforceable basis for challenging the plan in U.S. courts.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Saturday (31 October) accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk of staging a forced takeover of the country’s Con...
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to calls for a formal apology for Britain’s historical role in slavery, ahead of next...
Dengue fever has killed more people in Bangladesh this year than in the whole of 2025, with October the deadliest month so far, data from Banglades...
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Hackers have pulled off a staggering $6.3 billion cryptocurrency heist targeting Binance, shaking confidence in one of the world's biggest digital asset exchanges and sending crypto prices tumbling. U.S. analysts suspect North Korea was behind the attack.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Saturday (31 October) accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk of staging a forced takeover of the country’s Constitutional Tribunal, following the suspension of the court’s president.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he is open to calls for a formal apology for Britain’s historical role in slavery, ahead of next week’s Commonwealth summit, where he is expected to face demands for financial reparations.
Hundreds of millions of U.S. citizens will head to the polls on 3 November to elect the House of Representatives and Senate. How they vote could influence the direction of Donald Trump’s remaining 26 months in office and the outcomes of the Ukraine and Iran conflicts.
Ukrainians evacuated from the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky have arrived in Chernihiv, northern Ukraine, the country’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.
Police moved into Lisbon's Rossio Square on Sunday to clear a tent camp erected after thousands marched demanding Portugal's minority centre-right government withdraw a rental bill they say would worsen the country's housing crisis.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment