World · East Asia & Pacific · 2 hrs ago
Greens urge Australia to block planned US execution livestream
US officials have said they plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan on December 3, but Vice President JD Vance has cast doubt on whether it will happen.
Hasan, a former army psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring dozens at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009.
A military jury sentenced him to death in 2013.
Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has asked the communications minister and the eSafety commissioner to take steps to stop the footage being shown or accessed online in Australia.
The communications department says broadcasters should follow rules for violent or distressing coverage and act responsibly.
Australia’s eSafety commissioner can order platforms to block access to certain content, but it is unclear whether the planned footage would meet the legal threshold for such action.
Human rights groups and politicians have criticised the proposed broadcast, while some Australian politicians have raised concerns about internet censorship.
Hanson-Young is seeking assurance that the government will act, but the government has not said whether it can or will block the stream.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has urged the Australian government to prevent a planned US military execution livestream from being shown or accessed online in Australia.
The US has said it plans to livestream the 3 December execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, though Vice President JD Vance has cast doubt on whether it will happen.
Hanson-Young wrote to Communications Minister Anika Wells and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, asking them to take action and warn online platforms.
The communications department said broadcasters must act responsibly, while government sources cited uncertainty about whether Australia can restrict the broadcast.
Critics of a block have raised concerns about creating an internet censorship precedent.
- Who
- Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young is urging action by the Australian government.
- What
- She wants the planned US execution livestream blocked from being shown or accessed online in Australia.
- When
- The execution is scheduled for 3 December; the sources do not state the year.
- Where
- The execution is planned in the United States, and the requested restriction would apply in Australia.
- Why
- Hanson-Young says Australians should not be exposed to the footage and that inaction would jeopardise online safety.
Greens advocates for blocking the livestream
Opponents concerned about internet censorship
Access in Australia
Greens advocates for blocking the livestream
Hanson-Young wants the broadcast blocked or made inaccessible online.
Opponents concerned about internet censorship
Tim Wilson says allowing it to be streamed is problematic but warns against opening the door to an internet censorship ban.
Reasoning
Greens advocates for blocking the livestream
Hanson-Young says the footage is shocking and could harm online safety.
Opponents concerned about internet censorship
Wilson questions how blocking it could be done without creating a mechanism for internet censorship.
This is incredibly shocking and barbaric … Australians don't want this on our screens,
I certainly don’t want any children, or anybody to be honest, to witness another human being, being shot by a firing squad.
If it’s going to be livestreamed, how are you going to do that without creating the artifice to be able to block content on the internet and create an online portal of censorship?
Turning a state-sanctioned killing into a public spectacle only compounds the cruelty of the death penalty.
Hasan carried out a shooting at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, killing 13 people and injuring others.
A military jury sentenced Hasan to death after convicting him of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution would be livestreamed.
US Vice President JD Vance cast doubt on whether the execution would actually be livestreamed.
Hanson-Young’s call for Australian action was reported by the Guardian and ABC Australia.
Hasan’s execution is scheduled to take place.
- Prisoner
- Nidal Malik Hasan
- Age
- 56
- Sentence
- Death, imposed by a military jury in 2013
- Convictions
- 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder
- Execution method
- Firing squad
- Scheduled date
- 3 December
Sources
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