EU tech chief refuses question on US livestreamed execution plan

Henna Virkkunen refused to answer the question (Cillian Sherlock/PA)

Europe’s technology chief has refused to answer a question about steps the bloc will take if the US goes ahead with livestreaming a firing squad execution.

Nidal Malik Hasan is due to be executed on December 3 after he was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in a shooting at the Fort Hood military base in Texas in 2009.

US defence secretary Pete Hegseth had proposed that the execution of the former American army major by firing squad could be livestreamed.

European Commission vice president with responsibility Henna Virkkunen is among attendees at the Government’s artificial intelligence (AI) meeting on Wednesday as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On arrival at the RDS in Dublin, she took a series of questions about AI and tech regulation.

However, when a journalist attempted to ask what steps the EU would take if the US went ahead with livestreaming the execution of the Fort Hood gunman, Ms Virkkunen refused to answer the question and a press officer ended the media opportunity.

Mr Hegseth said the execution will be public, telling TV outlet Real America’s Voice: “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it.”

Vice President JD Vance has cast doubt on whether the Pentagon will livestream the execution and if it did, he said: “I’m not going to be watching it.”