Montana bar plans public viewing of possible Hasan execution
Mike’s Alcan Bar & Grill in Frenchtown, Montana, says it plans to host a public watch party for the livestreamed execution of Nidal Malik Hasan. The proposal has drawn support from some people online and follows an announcement by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that the execution would be streamed, though President Donald Trump has said a final decision remains to be made.
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting; he was paralysed in the attack and sentenced to death. The bar’s owner, Mike Shamoon, said the event would begin at 1pm local time on 3 December, with doors opening at 11am. If carried out, Hasan’s execution would be the US military’s first in 65 years, but a habeas corpus appeal could delay it for years.
- A Montana bar plans a watch party for Hasan’s proposed execution livestream.
- Hasan was convicted over the 2009 Fort Hood attack, which killed 13.
- A federal appeal could delay the execution for years.
New here? Start with this
Nidal Malik Hasan is a former Army psychiatrist sentenced to death for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas, one of the most deadly mass shootings at a US military base. He killed 13 people and wounded 32 others before being paralysed during the attack.
This execution would be unprecedented in modern times: if it proceeds, it will be the first carried out by the US military in 65 years, with the last execution occurring in 1961. Military executions have been exceptionally rare in the decades since.
The Defence Department announced the execution will be livestreamed, though President Trump said a final decision has not been made. A pending legal appeal could delay or prevent the execution for years.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Executions are lawful governmental actions and justice should be transparent and observable. The 13 victims who were killed and 32 who were injured, along with their families, deserve to witness accountability for these crimes. If the death penalty is legal, it should not be hidden from public view; transparency ensures the system operates fairly, deters abuse, and maintains public trust in the administration of justice.
The case against
Whilst transparency in law matters, executing people should be conducted with seriousness and solemnity rather than transformed into a public spectacle or social gathering. Civilised systems of justice maintain their legitimacy through dignity; there is a meaningful difference between legal proceedings and treating life-and-death governmental decisions as entertainment. Such spectacles risk traumatising rather than providing closure to victims' families and demean the justice system by treating grave actions as social events.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Montana bar announces plans to host watch party for livestreamed execution for wheelchair-bound terrorist, 56, who murdered 13 at Army base”.