US Military Plans Public Broadcast of Nidal Hasan’s Execution by Firing Squad

The US military plans to execute former Army Major Nidal Hasan by firing squad on 3 December at Fort Hood, Texas, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth supporting a proposal to allow the public to watch the proceedings through a live broadcast.

The execution will be the first carried out by the US military in more than 60 years and the first military firing squad execution since the aftermath of the Second World War. Hegseth has defended the decision, saying the public should be able to witness the punishment. 

Speaking to conservative broadcaster Real America’s Voice, he argued that serious crimes should have visible consequences and confirmed that a group of soldiers would carry out the execution. Hasan was convicted for the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, one of the deadliest attacks on a US military installation. He opened fire inside a crowded medical facility, killing 13 unarmed service members and injuring dozens of others.

During the subsequent legal proceedings, Hasan admitted carrying out the attack and said he had acted to protect Muslims and Taliban fighters involved in the war in Afghanistan. At his court martial in 2013, he apologised for what he called “mistakes”. The military jury nevertheless sentenced him to death.

Pentagon officials said President Donald Trump had approved Hegseth’s recommendation for the sentence to be carried out. The government is now preparing for the execution, while the proposal to broadcast it publicly raises questions about how the military will handle access to the proceedings.

Public executions have largely disappeared in the United States, where authorities carry out capital punishment behind prison walls. The proposed broadcast would mark a departure from this established practice and could prompt legal and ethical challenges over the public viewing of state executions.

The plan also comes amid international criticism of public executions. Amnesty International has reported that only a small number of countries continue to carry out executions openly, including Iran and Afghanistan, where such cases have been recorded in recent years.