Dutch PM slams ‘absurd’ US decision to livestream execution

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten expressed strong disapproval on Friday of the United States' decision to livestream the execution of Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. Jetten labeled the move "absurd" during a press conference in The Hague, stating that he finds it "truly absurd" to broadcast a death penalty execution live.

While the Dutch prime minister has not recently discussed the matter with the U.S., he mentioned that if they engage in any future contact, he would certainly voice his dissatisfaction. The U.S. military plans to conduct a public execution for the first time in recent history, with the execution of Hasan scheduled for December 3.

The Pentagon has announced that the death will be livestreamed, but has not disclosed the specific social media platforms that will be used. Jetten emphasized that European social media platforms bear responsibility for preventing the execution from being broadcasted on their channels within their territory. He expressed concern that it may be impossible to prevent the content from appearing on European social media.

Jetten noted that if the execution does surface on European social media, it would lead to numerous reports being filed, as violent content must be moderated by social media platforms under European law. Platforms that display gratuitous violence must implement effective age assurance measures to prevent children from seeing such content, according to a spokesperson for the Irish Media Commission.

The European Commission is currently investigating X, formerly known as Twitter, for potential breaches in online safety rules due to its failure to conduct proper age checks. This is a developing story.