US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced plans to broadcast the scheduled execution of former Army Major Nidal Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 unarmed soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009.
A Pentagon representative confirmed to the BBC that the execution, expected to take place by firing squad on December 3, would be streamed online.
If carried out, it could mark the first publicly broadcast execution in the United States in nearly 100 years.
The proposal has sparked criticism from human rights advocates and political leaders, with concerns surrounding its legality, ethical implications and potential impact on viewers.
The United Nations human rights office told AFP that televising the execution would amount to a public killing and violate the international ban on torture.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy also condemned the plan during an interview with CNN, describing it as appalling and comparing it to executions conducted by the Islamic State group.
However, Hegseth defended the decision, arguing that the punishment would demonstrate the consequences of such crimes.
Speaking to conservative broadcaster Real America’s Voice, he confirmed that a military firing squad would carry out the sentence.
President Donald Trump has reportedly endorsed the defence secretary’s recommendation, according to a Pentagon statement issued on Monday.
The White House has been asked to clarify whether the president also supports broadcasting the event.
Hasan, a Virginia-born military psychiatrist, admitted shooting 13 soldiers inside a crowded medical facility at Fort Hood.
During his 2013 court-martial, he apologised for what he described as his mistakes and said he believed he was defending Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Alonzo Lunsford, a former Army sergeant who survived the attack despite sustaining seven gunshot wounds, has expressed support for the firing squad as an appropriate punishment.
However, he questioned whether the footage should be available to the general public, particularly minors.
Lunsford believes relatives of those killed, survivors and their families should have access to an uncensored broadcast.
He also intends to attend the execution, saying he wants Hasan to recognise that his actions did not destroy his life.
Despite the announcement, legal experts have questioned whether the sentence can proceed as planned.
John Mills, an attorney representing death-row prisoners, explained that military executions require presidential authorisation, appellate scrutiny and a final legal determination.
He noted that Hasan’s appeals process remains incomplete and that further proceedings in federal court could suspend the punishment.
Mills described the proposed livestream and firing squad as an attempt by the Trump administration to attract attention, adding that he would be surprised if the execution occurred on the scheduled date.
Under Army Regulation 190-55, attendance at military executions is restricted to approved categories of witnesses, including journalists and relatives.
Individuals below the age of 18 are prohibited from attending.
Deborah Denno, a law professor at Fordham University who researches execution methods, said no execution in the United States had previously been livestreamed.
She suggested that broadcasting such an event could expose the public to the realities of capital punishment.
Denno also raised questions about safeguards for online viewers, including whether access would be restricted by age.
Although public support for the death penalty remains significant, the practice has declined in popularity in recent years.
A Pew Research survey conducted in July found that 66 per cent of Americans favoured capital punishment for murder, representing a six-percentage-point increase over five years.
Amnesty International reported more than 2,700 executions across 17 countries in the previous year.
Public executions were recorded in Iran and Afghanistan, with 11 reported in Iran and six in Afghanistan during 2025.
China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the United States recorded the highest numbers of executions, according to the organisation’s data.
President Donald Trump previously reversed former President Joe Biden’s suspension of federal executions after returning to office.
The last execution carried out by the US military occurred in 1961, when Army Private John A. Bennett was hanged after being convicted of raping an 11-year-old Austrian girl.
The punishment proceeded despite the victim’s family requesting clemency.
The most recent military execution by firing squad took place in January 1945, when Army Private Eddie Slovik was shot for desertion during the Second World War.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong