1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

I am requesting immediate intervention to halt the federal government’s plan to publicly livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan. Livestreaming an execution would place the United States among a small group of governments — Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia — that engage in public executions. It would also make the U.S. the first state actor in recorded history to broadcast an execution live. This action would constitute a fundamental breach of human‑rights norms, a departure from nearly a century of U.S. practice, and an escalation toward punitive spectacle rather than lawful punishment. Public execution has long been recognized as incompatible with democratic governance, due process, and the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. I urge you to use all available oversight and legislative tools to prevent this unprecedented and dangerous action.