WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s Classification Office has said it lacks the authority to block internet users from accessing a planned livestream of the execution of former US Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, scheduled for December 3 in Texas.
The US Department of Defense announced that Hasan’s execution by firing squad would be livestreamed, in what Reuters described as an unprecedented broadcast of a US execution. The decision has drawn attention from rights groups concerned about the public distribution of graphic content.
Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas.
New Zealand Chief Censor Caroline Flora said the country’s legal threshold for banning content was high and required balancing freedom of expression against the likelihood of harm.
The Classification Office said it could not classify a livestream while it was happening, adding that no body had the authority to block access to such an event. Other agencies, including online safety organisation Netsafe, may provide guidance as further details emerge.