U.S. lawmakers across party lines denounce live streaming of executions as "disgusting"

The U.S. Department of War (Defense) plans to publicly broadcast live executions on December 3, triggering unanimous condemnation from cross-party, religious and human rights organizations in the United States.

On November 5, 2009, Palestinian-American gunman Hassan attacked the medical facility at the Fort Hood base in Texas, killing 13 people and injuring more than 30 others. Hassan was sentenced to death in 2013 and is expected to be executed at Fort Hood, where the crime was committed, on December 3. War Secretary Hegseth said, "We will ensure that the public can watch. Because people need to understand the serious consequences of committing such an incident."

Republican Senator Tillis called public executions "absolutely disgusting." "This is the work of oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan and should not happen in the United States." Democratic Senator Kelly said that although Hassan should face fair and just sanctions, public executions are "the style of Iran and the Taliban. Do we really want to be involved with them?"

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights responded to Agence France-Presse that "live broadcast executions are no different from public executions and are violations of the absolute prohibition of torture." Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, said that he was shocked and saddened to hear the news of the live broadcast executions, condemning the move as "a barbaric promotion of a culture of death that must be reconsidered and evaluated."