Seventy-two retired senior US military officers have urged the government to abandon plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 unarmed soldiers at Fort Hood. The Pentagon has announced that Hasan would be executed by firing squad on 3 December, with the proceedings broadcast publicly. In an open letter, former generals, admirals and military legal officers argued that televising the execution would undermine human dignity, damage the military’s reputation and potentially encourage extremist propaganda. Although they did not oppose carrying out the death sentence, they questioned whether broadcasting it would violate constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Politicians from both parties and religious leaders have also criticised the proposal. Donald Trump initially expressed support for the broadcast, no final decision has been announced. It would be the first US public execution in nearly a century. Breaking news: Donald Trump has decided not to allow the planned livestream. See