Australia’s federal Greens are urging the eSafety commissioner and the government to restrict or block Australians from viewing a planned livestream of a US military execution.
The request centres on the US military execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, which the Pentagon says will be livestreamed in early December. Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called for the broadcast to be prevented, describing it as “barbaric,” while acknowledging it may be unclear whether the Commonwealth can or would impose limits on an ally’s handling of its own legal proceedings. The Australian communications department has told broadcasters to “act responsibly” in reporting.
Different outlets also reflect political pressure from the Greens, including a move by Greens to formally write to the eSafety commissioner asking that the livestream not be accessible in Australia. While the regulator is described as having possible “levers” to limit public exposure, reporting highlights that prior legal challenges involving the eSafety framework may make any outcome uncertain, and could increase the risk of a diplomatic dispute.
