UK Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson, a Labour Party chair, publicly criticised the US Department of War’s plan to livestream the firing squad execution of former Army major Nidal Hasan. She said the United Kingdom has a long‑standing opposition to the death penalty and described the situation as "rather disturbing". Phillipson warned that her intervention risks inflaming tensions with US President Donald Trump and could complicate the efforts of UK Deputy Prime Minister Andy Burnham to foster Transatlantic relations.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed that the execution will be carried out by firing squad on December 3 and will be broadcast via livestream. He noted that this would mark the first public execution in the United States since 1937.
Breaking news: The firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be live-streamed, the Defense Department said. “People need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. https://t.co/lu12xDKi3E
Nidal Hasan was convicted in 2013 for the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting in Texas. The attack killed 13 people and wounded 32. Hasan has said the shooting was motivated by religious extremist beliefs.
Pete Hegseth has repeatedly said that "People need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things" and added, "Don’t care.
The United Nations human rights office warned that livestreaming the execution could constitute a public execution and breach the absolute prohibition of torture. Legal experts, human rights organisations and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy have also criticised the plan, with Murphy comparing the public nature of the event to practices by the Islamic State. Survivor Alonzo Lunsford, who was shot seven times during the attack, supports the use of a firing squad but believes access to the footage should be limited to victims’ families and survivors.
Pentagon announces the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed on December 3rd. Happy to see him put down for his crimes. But live-streaming his execution via firing squad seems somehow like a regression societally speaking.
Pete Hegseth has repeatedly said that "People need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things" and added, "Don’t care. We’ll see him on December 3rd." John Mills described the proposal as "unprecedented in the modern era". Bridget Phillipson publicly criticised the US plan, stating the UK has a long-standing opposition to the death penalty and describing the situation as 'rather disturbing'.
Phillipson’s comments reflect the United Kingdom’s long‑standing opposition to capital punishment. President Donald Trump’s stance on the matter is characterised as neutral.
The public will be able to watch the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist who was convicted of fatally shooting 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. Hasan will be executed by firing squad, Army officials announced. More: https://t.co/GZw4pZU01j
The execution of Nidal Hasan by firing squad is set for December 3 and will be livestreamed. The plan continues to draw both support from some survivors and criticism from international bodies, lawmakers and human rights advocates.