What the Pentagon announced

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on 8 October that Nidal Hasan, a former Army major, will be executed by firing squad and that the execution will be livestreamed. Hasan was convicted by a military jury of 45 counts of murder and sentenced to death in 2013 for the November 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, which killed 13 people. If Hasan does not file an appeal, the execution is set for 3 December, and it would be the first firing squad execution by the US military since 1945. The military's last execution was in 1961, when John A. Bennett was hanged. Hasan, now 56 according to RFI, was partially paralyzed after police shot him during his arrest and uses a wheelchair, a detail Axios says could complicate how the execution would be carried out. The Pentagon has not disclosed its firing squad procedures. Accounts differ on Trump's position: the Washington Post reports that he said he personally authorized the livestream, while The Independent reports that he has reportedly voiced reservations behind closed doors.

Families, soldiers and the Church

Leila Hunt Willingham, whose brother Army Spc. Jason Dean "J.D." Hunt was killed in the 2009 attack, told CBS News that she thought "He can't be serious" when Hegseth announced the livestream. She said the families hold different views, and that she has talked to most of them and they agree the execution should be private.

“Within all the families, there are different views between viewing it or not.”

Survivor Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford supports execution by firing squad but told NewsNation he has an issue with children and young people watching it. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation reports that soldiers have objected on religious or moral grounds, and its founder Mikey Weinstein said those who refuse may be among the 180 soldiers selected for the firing squad. La Repubblica's headline puts the number of objecting soldiers at at least 60, while its text says dozens.

Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, who leads the archdiocese for the US armed forces, urged Catholic soldiers to request to be excused from the firing squad.

“I oblige any Catholics assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused from this action contrary to the teaching of the Church.”

Platforms, lawmakers and networks

TikTok said the video would not be allowed under its rules against graphic violence, the moment of someone's death, and shootings. Meta's policies bar livestreams of capital punishment but allow exceptions for newsworthy events, and YouTube has public interest exceptions but would not say whether they apply here. Meta and YouTube declined to comment on whether they would allow the video, and Snap did not comment. Newsmax said it will not air the livestream, will not show the execution on air, and disagrees with the Pentagon's plan. CBS News and NBC News declined to comment, while Fox News and ABC News did not respond. Vice President JD Vance has said he would not watch the execution if it is broadcast, House Speaker Mike Johnson has voiced concerns, and lawmakers from both parties have opposed the plan. Axios reports it is still unclear whether the December event will actually be livestreamed.

International reaction

The UN human rights office warned that a live broadcast of such an execution could be considered torture and recalled its earlier positions on public executions in Afghanistan and Iran, according to RFI. La Repubblica reported that the UN had condemned the plan and that it would place the United States alongside countries it accuses of violating human rights, such as Iran. In an interview with an Australian broadcaster, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his government has a social responsibility to keep such content away from the public and that it would tell social media platforms it has no place in Australia. Australia's internet regulator has said it lacks the legal power to block online streaming of the execution.