Australian Greens call for ‘barbaric’ US execution live stream to be blocked

The Australian government should block the “barbaric” broadcast or live stream of a US military execution, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says, but it is unclear whether the commonwealth can or would be willing to do so. The communications department warned media broadcasters must “act responsibly” in reporting on the scheduled execution by firing squad of Nidal Malik Hasan.

The US government said last week it would livestream his execution, but has not confirmed how or on what platform that stream would be carried. The plan has drawn severe concern in the US and internationally, including among politicians, religious leaders and human rights advocates, with critics comparing the Trump administration to dictatorships in Iran and Afghanistan.

The United Nations’ office of the high commissioner for human rights warned on Friday that broadcasting the killing would amount to a public execution and “breach the absolute prohibition of torture”. Hanson-Young, the Greens’ communications spokesperson, wrote to minister Anika Wells and the eSafety commission to urge they take “whatever action is necessary” to block the execution being broadcast in Australia or accessible online, calling it an “unconscionable, abhorrent act”.

Hanson-Young also said the eSafety commission should pursue regulatory action against “any large platforms” allowing the broadcast of the execution. “Inaction on this will jeopardise millions of Australians’ online safety,” she wrote. Her call found support across the political divide. One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce called the public nature of the execution “Roman amphitheatre stuff”.