▲ Nidal Hasan, the perpetrator of the 2009 Fort Hood military base shooting.
Criticism is mounting over the U.S. Department of Defense's plan to livestream the execution of a mass shooter at a U.S. military base.
The controversy was sparked by a statement released by the Pentagon on the 8th (local time).
The Pentagon announced that it will execute Nidal Malik Hasan, who took 13 lives in a 2009 shooting spree at a military base, by firing squad and livestream the event.
Hasan's execution is scheduled for December 3, and the specific method of livestreaming has reportedly not yet been determined.
Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis posted on X, saying, "Hasan deserves to be executed, but making it public and livestreaming it is utterly sickening." He added, "Public executions are something authoritarian regimes like Iran and Afghanistan do. That should not happen in the United States."
Republican Senator John Curtis and Representative Austin Scott also expressed concern, urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reconsider.
The United Nations also criticized the plan, stating, "Frankly, a government executing someone publicly or in front of livestreaming cameras is abhorrent."
Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, made the remarks during a regular briefing at UN headquarters in New York that day, noting, "Public executions, which we have seen in other countries like Iran or Afghanistan, can amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment."
Vice President JD Vance also expressed discomfort with the livestreaming plan.
While maintaining that Hasan's death sentence is justified during a gaggle with reporters on the 9th, Vance said that he would not watch the execution if it is broadcast live.
Vance also remarked, "I don't know if it will actually happen. Let's see."
Regarding Vance's comments, The Washington Post (WP) pointed out that this is the first instance of a high-ranking official in the Trump administration showing discomfort with the Defense Department's decision on a public execution.
President Trump stated that day that the firing squad execution for Hasan is justified, saying, "He deserves that kind of punishment."
When asked whether he supports the livestreaming, he did not take a clear stance, stating, "I understand that matter is currently being decided."
Hasan, who was a military psychiatrist (major), opened fire in November 2009 while serving at Fort Hood in Texas.
The incident left 13 service members and civilians dead and 32 others injured.
The Washington Post reported that if Hasan's execution is livestreamed, it would mark the first time U.S. authorities have shown an execution to the public in real-time.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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