Pentagon confirms plan to livestream Nidal Hasan’s execution

The U.S. Defense Department says Nidal Malik Hasan’s execution by firing squad is scheduled for Dec. 3 at Fort Hood and will be livestreamed. The announcement has prompted questions about legal limits and access to the broadcast.

The Pentagon confirmed the livestream on Thursday after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the execution as public. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle set it for 1 p.m. local time. An Army statement says President Donald Trump approved the death sentence on Oct. 2 and the execution date was set on Oct. 6. The Associated Press reported that it would be the first execution of a U.S. service member in more than 65 years.

Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist with the rank of major, was convicted by a military court over the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, that killed 13 people and wounded 32. A jury found him guilty in 2013 and imposed the death penalty. The U.S. military rarely carries out executions, and a firing squad had not been used for a military execution since 1945.

The livestream plan has drawn scrutiny from lawyers and rights groups. They have raised questions about the condemned person’s dignity, the legal basis for a public broadcast and safeguards to keep minors from accessing it. The Associated Press reported that some experts see a broadcast as a way to make capital punishment more transparent, while others warn of legal and ethical risks.

Hasan could seek review in civilian court, which experts interviewed by the Associated Press said could delay the execution. Pentagon officials said more details would follow. Authorities have not yet said which platform would carry the stream or how access would be restricted.