Congress Must Prevent Livestream Execution of Fort Hood Shooter

Washington, D.C. — In response to the federal government’s plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, David Janovsky, acting director of The Constitution Project at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), issued the following statement:

“Seventeen years ago, 13 people were killed and more than 30 were wounded at Fort Hood. They were soldiers and civilians serving their country, and they were taken from their families and communities in an act of unspeakable violence. Our hearts remain with the families who lost loved ones, with the survivors who still carry the wounds of that day, and with everyone at Fort Hood whose lives were changed forever. Their grief has not faded with time, and neither has our commitment to honoring those we lost.

The man responsible was tried, convicted, and sentenced through our military justice system. That process deserves respect, just as the families deserve justice.

The plan to livestream this execution is wrong. It runs counter to our constitutional rights and our values, and it should not happen. It has been nearly a century since we’ve had a public execution in the United States, for good reason. There are strong arguments that it is unconstitutionally cruel, exposes society and especially minors to significant harm, and risks provoking further violence. In this case, that includes unnecessarily endangering troops.

There is no provision in the Uniform Code of Military Justice or the military’s procedures that allows or provides regulations for livestreaming an execution. Given the legal ambiguity and the significant risks, Congress must step in and ensure that this and future military executions are not livestreamed. We call on Congress to act immediately.”