Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten criticized the U.S. decision to publicly livestream an execution, calling it "absurd." Jetten made these remarks during a press conference in The Hague on Friday, stating, "Personally, I find it truly absurd to broadcast a death penalty execution live." He mentioned that while he has not recently discussed this with U.S. officials, he expects that any contact with them, particularly at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs level, would convey their dissatisfaction.
The U.S. military plans to conduct a public execution for the first time in recent history, as announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday. Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, is scheduled for execution on December 3. The Pentagon has confirmed that the execution will be livestreamed but has not disclosed which social media platforms will be used.
Jetten emphasized that social media platforms in Europe have a responsibility to prevent the execution from being broadcast on their services, expressing concern that it may be difficult to stop. He stated, "As far as I’m concerned, it is really up to the social media platforms in Europe to prevent this from being circulated and broadcast on their channels. But I fear it will be impossible to prevent."
He also noted that if the execution is shown on European social media, there would be a significant number of reports filed, as violent content must be moderated under European law. A spokesperson for the Irish Media Commission remarked that video-sharing platforms allowing violent content must implement effective age assurance to prevent minors from viewing it. The media regulator is currently investigating X for potential breaches of online safety rules regarding age checks.
The United Nations has stated that livestreaming an execution would constitute torture, with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights asserting that it breaches the absolute prohibition of torture. This statement aligns with previous comments regarding public executions in Afghanistan and Iran. The European Commission has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding this issue.
This is a developing story.