"Are We Iran?" Backlash Mounts Over Plan to Livestream Mass Shooter's Execution

Criticism is pouring in over the U.S. Department of Defense's plan to livestream the execution of a military base mass shooter.

The controversy was ignited by a statement issued by the Pentagon on the 8th.

The department announced that Nidal Malik Hasan, who took 13 lives in a 2009 shooting at a military base, will be executed by firing squad and that the execution will be broadcast live.

Hasan's execution is scheduled for December 3, though the specific method of the livestream has not yet been determined.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis criticized the plan on X, writing, "Hasan deserves to be executed, but making it a public spectacle and broadcasting it live is utterly repulsive." 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, "For a government to execute someone publicly or before livestreaming cameras is, quite frankly, abhorrent."

Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, made the remarks during a regular briefing at UN headquarters in New York, saying, "Public executions, such as those seen in other countries like Iran and Afghanistan, can amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment."

Vice President JD Vance also expressed unease regarding the livestreaming plan.

During a gaggle with reporters on the 9th, Vance maintained that Hasan's death sentence is justified, but stated that he would not watch if the execution is broadcast live.

Vance also remarked, "I don't know if it will actually happen. We'll see."

The Washington Post (WP) pointed out that Vance's remarks mark the first instance of a high-ranking Trump administration official showing discomfort with the Pentagon's decision regarding a public execution.

President Trump stated on the same 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, saying, "I understand that matter is currently being decided."

Hasan, who was a military psychiatrist and major, went on a shooting rampage in November 2009 while stationed at Fort Hood in Texas.

The incident left 13 service members and civilians dead and 32 injured.

According to WP, if Hasan's execution is livestreamed, it will mark the first time U.S. authorities have broadcast an execution to the public in real time.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.