If US defence secretary Pete Hegseth proceeds with a reported plan to livestream the execution of a soldier who killed 13 people at a Texas military base, the United States would join a small group of nations that conduct public executions, according to the Guardian.
Key facts
- The Guardian reports that US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has a plan to livestream the execution of a soldier.
- The soldier was convicted of killing 13 people at a military base in Texas; the Guardian describes him as having been radicalised to extremist Islam.
- Only Iran and Afghanistan currently systematically carry out capital sentences in public, according to the Guardian.
- In 2025, the Taliban carried out six public killings and Iran carried out 11, according to Amnesty International as cited by the Guardian.
- Saudi Arabia appears to have ended the practice of public executions, according to the Guardian.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s reported plan to livestream the execution of a soldier would place the United States among a small group of nations that still conduct executions in public, according to the Guardian.
The soldier at the centre of the plan was convicted of killing 13 people at a military base in Texas. The Guardian describes him as having been radicalised to extremist Islam and writes that, if Hegseth proceeds, the country would join what the outlet called “a motley assembly of lesser powers and rogue actors who have conducted public executions in recent years.”
According to the Guardian, only two countries currently systematically carry out capital sentences in public: Iran and Afghanistan.
Citing Amnesty International, the Guardian reported that in 2025 the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan carried out six such killings, while the authorities in Tehran carried out 11.
Saudi Arabia, which has previously been associated with public executions, appears to have ended the practice, according to the Guardian.
The source does not detail any stated rationale from Hegseth or the US administration, and it is not yet clear from the reporting whether or when such a livestream would take place.
Why it matters
Public executions are now rare worldwide and are associated with a handful of governments criticised over human rights. A US move to livestream an execution would, according to the Guardian, mark a notable shift in how the country carries out capital punishment and draw international scrutiny.
Frequently asked questions
Which countries still carry out public executions?
According to the Guardian, only Iran and Afghanistan currently systematically carry out capital sentences in public. Saudi Arabia appears to have ended the practice.
How many public executions took place in 2025?
Citing Amnesty International, the Guardian reported that the Taliban authorities carried out six public killings and the regime in Tehran carried out 11 in 2025.
Who is the soldier Hegseth plans to have executed?
The Guardian describes him as a soldier radicalised to extremist Islam who killed 13 people at a military base in Texas.