Punjab Newsline | Washington
The United States is reportedly preparing to broadcast the execution of former Army Major Nidal Hasan live on television, according to claims in the supplied report. Hasan was convicted for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood military base in Texas, in which 13 people were killed.
The report states that Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad at the same military installation on December 3. It also attributes to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth a statement that the execution would be broadcast publicly so that people could witness the consequences of such crimes.
According to the BBC, the proposed execution would mark the first public execution in the United States in approximately 100 years. However, the reported date, broadcast plan and execution arrangements require independent verification.
On November 5, 2009, Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, arrived at Fort Hood with a personal handgun and opened fire on soldiers and other people at the military base. The attack became the deadliest mass shooting at a US military installation.
At the time, the United States was engaged in military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Hasan later said he considered the wars illegal and immoral and claimed that he had carried out the attack in the name of jihad.
Hasan was wounded during the shooting and became paralysed from the waist down. During his military trial, he admitted to the killings.
Convicted on 45 Charges in 2013
In 2013, a military court convicted Hasan of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder, bringing the total to 45 charges. He was sentenced to death.
Hasan expressed no remorse for the attack. According to accounts of his statements before a military mental health panel, he said he had wanted to die during the shooting and become a martyr. He also indicated that he would consider himself a martyr even if he were sentenced to death.
The report attributes to Hegseth a statement that a military firing squad would carry out Hasan's execution and that the public should be able to watch it.
The reported remarks emphasised that people should understand the serious consequences of such acts. However, the claim that the execution will be televised live has not been independently established here.
Presidential Approval Required Under Military Law
Under the US military justice system, a death sentence requires presidential approval before it can be carried out. Legal appeals and other procedural requirements can also delay an execution.
Hasan's case has remained notable because of the scale of the Fort Hood attack and the death sentence imposed by a military court. Any confirmed execution date or decision to broadcast the event would represent a significant development in the case.
