New Zealand censor says it would be powerless to block livestreamed US execution

New Zealand's national censor said on Friday it would be unable to block the planned livestreamed execution of a former Army major in the United States, as rights groups pressed governments to protest the decision with Washington.



Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others at the Fort Hood military base in Texas in 2009.



The Pentagon said on Thursday Hasan's December 3 execution by firing squad would be livestreamed, in what would be an unprecedented broadcast of a US execution.



The decision is likely to draw scrutiny from governments around the world amid mounting efforts to protect young people in particular from harmful internet content.



One of the first countries to react was New Zealand, where censorship authorities highlighted difficulties in restricting access to such material.