The Australian Greens have called on the federal government to prevent Australian audiences from accessing the planned live broadcast of US military execution Nidal Hasan’s sentence.
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young described the prospect of a firing squad execution being streamed online as “barbaric,” urging officials to take action to block the content. However, it remains uncertain whether the Commonwealth possesses the legal authority or political will to impose such restrictions on an allied nation conducting its own judicial proceedings.
Nidal Malik Hasan, identified by the Pentagon as a mass murderer responsible for the Fort Hood attack, is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on 3 December. The US Department of Defense has confirmed that the event will be livestreamed.
In response to the announcement, the Australian communications department issued guidance to media broadcasters, instructing them to “act responsibly” in their coverage of the scheduled execution. Despite these professional guidelines, federal government sources indicate that direct intervention to restrict the broadcast may face significant legal and diplomatic hurdles.
Barbaric indeed. Hope the government has some spine and blocks it immediately.
The ‘act responsibly’ guidance is cute. What actually stops people from finding it?
I thought Fort Hood was a tragedy. Does streaming this help anyone?
Can Australia even block US military justice? Diplomatic nightmare waiting to happen.
Firing squad livestreamed? That sounds like a dystopian nightmare, not justice.